Take all suicidal comments by friends and family seriously

Signs that your friend/family is depressed

Being suicidal has been highlighted by doctors as one of the symptoms of depression. However, when people openly express suicidal ideas, they are not taken seriously. “There is a common myth that if a person is really suicidal, they don’t tell others about it; they do it. By this erroneous logic, if the person is telling you about it, you might mistakenly conclude that they won’t actually do it,” says Dr. Norman Rosenthal, a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Georgetown University. Dr. Norman affirms that any suicidal comments should be taken seriously, as they are signs of depression.

Other signs that your friend or family member could be depressed include:

They only see the negative side of things

If someone is depressed, they will always look at things from a negative point of view. They believe that there is nothing they can do that will make things better. If you dig deeper, you will realize that they harbor feelings of hopelessness and helplessness.

Lack of self-confidence

They think poorly of themselves and their future. As a result, they have strong feelings of worthlessness and guilt. If they have made certain mistakes in life, they will harshly criticize themselves.

Easily angered

Depressed individuals get frustrated by ordinary challenges and obstacles. As a result, they end up being irritable and easily angered.

Lack of interest in hobbies/daily activities

Another warning sign that your friend or loved one could be depressed include not showing interest in things that they previously used to love doing. They may even lose interest in performing normal daily activities.

Insomnia or oversleeping

If your friend or family member is not sleeping or they have been oversleeping, they could be battling with depression.

Overfeeding or lack of appetite

If you notice that someone close to you is over-eating or they are not eating at all, they could be harboring feelings of depression.

They engage in reckless behavior

If someone out of the blues starts engaging in reckless behavior such as taking drugs, gambling, reckless driving, or engaging in a dangerous sport, it could be a sign that they are depressed.

How you can help a depressed person

If you realize that someone close to you is showing signs of depression, accompany them to seek treatment from a psychiatrist. Sometimes giving them a listening ear, and just being there for them is enough.