Got a real good internet friend that I'm always on a discord with. He's going through a rough spot with depression, and I don't know what to say to make things better or how to avoid making things worse. Does any of this even matter? I don't know how this interaction compares to his real life issues or professional help he can get.
If he wanted your help on the issue, he'd ask you.
Stream movies together and comment on them?
>>18439276
I mean maybe bring up that you're concerned about it but realize that you can't fix it. Just keep being his friend.
>>18439276
It probably doesn't matter. Be someone who listens and gives constructive advice when you can, and occasionally just check in and see how he's doing - but not in the sense that you're looking for him to answer that he feels better or whatever.
I used to be extremely depressed and had a couple of e-friends who really helped to be around. I still wanted social contact but was like afraid of the outside. Just having them was nice.
Now I go through the occasional downtrodden spurt but I'm not too bad.
>>18439323
I like this answer, good to hear from someone who experienced the other side of what I am. I'll keep this in mind, thanks anon.
>>18439290
Well he mentions it to me from time to time, so...
>>18439294
I dunno, that's too far from the norm from what we usually do. Might seem kind of deliberated and fishy.
>>18439307
I do really dislike bringing things like this up, regardless of if it would help or not. Rather take a more subtle approach, at least until things worsen, which they hopefully won't.
>>18439527
>Well he mentions it to me from time to time, so...
Maybe he just wanted you to hear him out about it just to let you know.
I'm in a similar situation to OP. Girl I've been talking to alot has depression and a variety of other mental problems and a history of self-harm. She also says she'd probably kill herself if she didn't make it into uni. Is there anything i can say to help her? She's taking medication and seeing a therapist but I still worry about her
>>18440448
True, but now that I know, I feel like I need to do something. Even small things. Doesn't feel right to respond with "k cool" and leave it at that.
Having sort of come out of a 3 year depression recently (stopped taking meds two months ago, still kinda tired and unmotivated), I can tell you what he most needs to hear but definitely doesn't want to hear.
When I learned I was depressed, I was relieved. There was a neurochemical explanation for why I was such a worthless human being. I grew used to it and would tell people "Sorry, I don't have the energy to do that, I'm depressed." Eventually I realized that that attitude would keep me depressed forever. I realized that it didn't matter why I was depressed. What mattered was whose job it was to get me out of it, and that person was me. It was going to be almost impossible but I had to start exercising, start regulating my sleep pattern properly, start eating properly instead of just fast food. Those things would change my brain chemistry for the better and hopefully eventually make me happy again. And regardless of who I chose to blame, that wouldn't change. I could whine about my brain chemistry. I could whine about society. I could whine about my living situation. Didn't matter, wouldn't change anything. So in short:
Don't try to figure out your past, who or what got you into this shit. It's irrelevant. Focus on the future. And the only one that can fix that is you.