7 Things You Should Never Say To Someone With Severe Depression

1. “You’re too beautiful to be depressed.”

No one on this earth is too beautiful to be depressed. Depression is a blind parasite and it chooses to leech on whoever it feels like leeching onto. Please do not be this person who is ignorant enough to say this. Illness does not have a face. Statements like this can be degrading and offensive to people who are suffering.

2. “Someone in this world actually has a reason to be depressed. Someone in this world has it worse than you.”

Invalidating someone’s trauma because you think you or someone else has had it worse makes you a fucking dickhead. If you catch yourself making your problems a competition, you should reevaluate. There is no hierarchy. Please be thoughtful and kind to those who are confiding to you. They are confiding to you for a reason (they trust you).

3. “Get over it.”

Telling someone to get over their depression or to move on is highly insensitive, and this statement simply lacks compassion.

4. “I know how you feel.”

Even though you might think you know how they feel, the undeniable truth is you don’t. You can always try to understand how they feel, but you probably won’t ever know. This statement can belittle the person’s pain.

5. “Am I not enough for you?”

In the eyes of a person who is severely depressed, everything that has color in their life is simply grey. Certains things that would bring you joy may not be enjoyable to a person who is depressed. The idea is hard to grasp, but just because it’s not your reality doesn’t mean it not theirs. Saying things like this can make them feel guilt and even add a burden to them.

6. “You’re just looking for attention.”

You should never try to invalidate someone’s feelings. You have no fathomable insight on what’s going on with the person. If you think they’re just seeking attention, it’s probably because they let you into their thoughts and feelings. They dont want attention, they want your help. Help them.

7. “Look on the bright side! Think positive.”

Although the majority of people who say this genuinely mean it, this could be dismissive of what the person is dealing with on a day-to-day basis. This can place the blame on the person who is struggling with their mental illness.