Depressed People Tend To Use These Common Words And Expressions

If you suspect that someone close to you is suffering from depression, you should know that sad facial expressions and lack of hope, motivation, and interest aren’t the only signs of this disorder. Depression can present itself in certain words and expressions that depressed people use as well.

Many analyses have shown that people who are depressed tend to use negative words and first-person singular pronouns more than people who don’t have this disorder. If someone you know or your loved ones are going through this horrible condition, it’s important for them to know that you care about them and will always be there to help and support them. Maybe they won’t open up to you right away, but you need to be patient and determined in your decision to help them combat this serious disorder.

So, if someone close to you uses the following words and expressions, it’s very probable that they’re dealing with depression.

Here they are:

1. They use many words which have a negative meaning.

Depressed people frequently use negative and sad words. If you notice that a friend, a family member, a colleague, or your partner commonly uses words, like unhappy, lonely, despairing, miserable, worried, and etc. it can be a telltale sign that they’re dealing with this serious condition.

2. They commonly use first-person singular pronouns.

“I,” “me,” and “myself” can be frequently heard coming from a depressed person’s mouth. The reason for this is that depressed people focus all their thoughts and attention on their own problems. Obsessing about them weighs them down even more and make them seclude themselves in a world of sheer loneliness.

Yet, be careful. If you hear someone talking only about themselves and their own problems, don’t take this as a definite sign they are narcissistic. On the contrary, this can be an indication that the person is suffering from depression and needs to be helped.

3. They have a tendency to speak in absolutes.

This shouldn’t be surprising at all if you know that depressed people have a black and white view of the world. This is what makes them often use words, such as “never,” “always,” “nothing,” and “completely.” They also tend to use expressions and sentences with a negative and highly pessimistic meaning, like “Bad things like these always happen to me,” “I always fall behind,” ”People always let me down,” or “I’ll never get over it.”

What should you do if you suspect someone you know is suffering from depression?

If you think that someone who you know or is close to you might be depressed, don’t let them fight that awful condition alone. Yet, you must be prepared to be very patient with them because it’s very probable that they won’t open up to you immediately. You need to be aware that they’ve been carrying in and keeping their problems to themselves for a long period of time and to start talking to you about them won’t be easy for them at all.

How you should behave towards a depressed person also depends on the relationship you have with them. If it’s an employee or just a colleague of yours we’re talking about, then you can’t have a too much personal conversation with them. You can talk about the quality of their work and give them advice on where to look for help, whether the place where you work or somewhere else.

If it’s your loved one, such as a family member, a friend, or a partner, who is dealing with depression, you don’t have to be reserved and you can have an open and personal conversation with them. You have to tell and show them they can rely on you and that you’ll always be there to help and encourage them. Try to assure them that nothing’s lost and they can deal with it successfully.

Yet, don’t make the terrible mistake of trying to assure them that if they watch a good movie or go on holiday, this will make their depression magically go away. Or that there are people who have more serious issues than them.  Last but not least, don’t even think about telling them: “I know how you feel” because if you have never gone through what they’re experiencing now, you don’t “know” how they feel at all.

Image:Laura Peña Gorostegui