Being there for someone struggling with depression can be tricky, and it can be tempting to pull away rather than risk saying the wrong thing.
But don't do that. Your friends need you now more than ever. Just keep in mind that some of these well-meaning phrases might have a completely different meaning for someone with depression.
1. "But you seem so happy!"
2. "Your life is amazing, though!"
3. "Have you tried...?"
4. "Just get out there and get active — you'll feel a lot better."
5. "But why are you depressed?"
6. "Let's just go grab a drink and take your mind off it."
7. "You don't look depressed."
8. "Don't worry, you're strong enough to get through this."
9. "But don't I make you happy?"
10. "Aren't you worried about meds turning you into a zombie?"
11. "Have you been taking your medication?"
12. "Just try not to think about it."
13. "But hey, at least you don't have it as bad as some people."
14. "I understand, I get depressed sometimes, too."
15. "I really miss how things used to be."
16. "Maybe you should concentrate on exercising and eating right?"
17. "You're being too hard on yourself."
18. "You should concentrate on doing things that make you happy."
19. "It gets better, just hang in there."
20. "You're still depressed? But I thought you were doing better?"
21. "Everyone has those days."
22. "Happiness is a choice!"
Shit, choose happiness? Why didn't we think of that?
23. "I know you can beat this."
But enough about what you shouldn't say. Here's what we actually want to hear:
UPDATE
A tweet that appeared in an earlier version of this post has since been removed after a discussion with the Twitter user.