Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Divulge The 'Words Of Wisdom' You Should Never Share With A Depressed Person

We all love to play armchair therapist. We all believe we have the answers. But we could do more harm than good.

So many of us have the best of intentions but we must begin to understand time and place and delivery.

Some people are in darker places and platitudes aren't the miracle cure some people think they are.


Redditor Kvetanista wanted to talk about when to speak or be silent, so they asked:

"What's the worst thing you can say to a depressed person?"

I hate... "just smile."

As if I don't know how to control the muscles in my face to make it all ok.

If that helped I'd have wrinkle lines decades before I should.

I DON'T!!

Snap!

"Stop being lazy. Snap out of it." ~ Recent_Employment_28

Giphy

Nothing

"But you've got nothing to be depressed about." ~ RandomRamblings99

"It's like this with anxiety too. 'You have nothing to be anxious about.' Yeah, well that sure ain't stopping it from happening." ~ RobToastie

"Oh man I heard that a lot growing up, still gives me shivers. I caught myself saying it to my son one day and vowed to never say it again. My kids get to feel their feelings." ~ WolfPackMedic

Why?

"I heard this and all it did was made me hate myself more. 'Why can't you be like everyone else? Why can't you be happy considering all you have going for yourself? What is your problem?' is what i would think."

"It did teach me I can't unburden myself to anyone stupid enough to stand in front of me for five minutes though. Now I ask people 'Are you sure you really want to know how I'm feeling? If they say no I understand because most people are just being polite.'" ~ fazlez1

Top 2

"'Get over it' and 'It's all in your head' are my top two."' ~ Hollywood899

"Yeah right, even with trying to get the right chemicals through meds I still ain't right. Like my anxiety is too bad to take ADHD meds and my body also literally doesn't metabolize most anti depressants properly, so the amount I can even try is limited." ~ arcaneunicorn

Worse

"Saying 'Someone has it worse' completely ignores the pain the depressed person is suffering through." ~ Alluxing

Giphy

What are the origins of this mess?

Like in what century did any of this work?

Celebrate

"For me it's 'Enjoy those years! They are the best part of your life'." ~ Kvetanista

Giphy

Bless You

"I also enjoy 'if you went back to church your depression would go away.'" ~ dixiequick

"I was going to church at the time I finally decided to open up and was told I'm in sin."

"I already felt like when i was born God said 'oops' and now I have this to deal with? Despite all I've gone though and felt I have no problem with God, the problem I have is with is people who exercise Church 101. There's no anger anymore as that's one of their imperfections. They have theirs and I have mine." ~ fazlez1

My Head

"My dad says this to me. 'Depression isn’t real, it’s all in your head.' He’s half right though, it is all in your head. I’ve always assured myself 'maybe they’ll believe me when they find me hanging from a ceiling fan.'" ~ TTungsteNN

"Heard that many times, including from my parents until I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. My father was diagnosed bipolar about 10 years before me. WTF?" ~ FriendRaven1

99 Problems

"Stop complaining, some people have real problems." ~ soupisatitagain

"My ex used to say that to me all the time. Like even if I wasn’t complaining about something and just mentioning something that happened on my day. Really he just didn’t care to listen."

"Also the problem with saying that is you close the door for open communication. That’s how people end up bottling things inside. And for teachers or parents, it’s a missed opportunity to educate a young person to overcome an obstacle and grow, so that they will eventually 'stop complaining.'” ~ chocotacogato

Better?

"I personally hate 'it gets better,' it does get better but I hate when people say that to me when I’m in a major depressive episode. Idk why, it just upsets me even more." ~ lonelylemons42069

Giphy

Just do the best you can.

Life is hard.

That's all I've got.

And it's better than what we've heard.


Want to "know" more?

Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.


More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Donald Trump
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

Trump Roasted After Making Bonkers Comparison Between Gas Prices In Iowa And California

President Donald Trump was widely mocked for making a nonsensical comparison between gas prices in Iowa versus California during a ceremony at the White House in which he was given an award for being the "undisputed champion of beautiful clean coal."

Trump's recognition reportedly came from the Washington Coal Club, a pro-coal advocacy organization with financial links to the sector. The award was presented by James Grech, chief executive of Peabody Energy, the nation’s largest coal producer. The bronze trophy depicts a miner equipped with a headlamp and pickaxe.

Keep ReadingShow less
James Van Der Beek
Vivien Killilea/WarnerMedia and AT&T/Getty Images

GoFundMe For James Van Der Beek's Family Sparks Debate About U.S. Healthcare After Amassing Over $1.5 Million

Though Dawson's Creek's James Van Der Beek has only just tragically passed away at the age of 48, his family has had to start making financial plans amid their grief.

While going through cancer treatment, it became public knowledge that Van Der Beek was auctioning off much of his memorabilia from Dawson's Creek and other big products to cover the high costs of his cancer treatment. Though Cobra Kai star Paul Walter stepped in at the time and started a Cameo account to help offset those remaining medical costs, the debt continued to mount.

Keep ReadingShow less
Jill Zarin (left) criticized Bad Bunny (right) after his record-breaking Super Bowl halftime performance.
Sara Jaye/Getty Images; Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images

Former Reality Star Fired From New Show After Going On Racist Tirade About Bad Bunny's Halftime Show

Real Housewives OG Jill Zarin may need to add “fired again” to her Bravo résumé after production axed her from the upcoming E! reality docuseries The Golden Life, which stars fellow RHONY originals Luann de Lesseps, Ramona Singer, Kelly Bensimon, and Sonja Morgan.

Zarin appeared on The Real Housewives of New York from 2008 to 2011, quickly branding herself the group’s truth-teller, a role that often blurred into pot-stirrer, grudge-holder, and reunion-stage detonator.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump receiving "Undisputed Champion of Coal" award
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Trump Dragged After Getting Yet Another Meaningless Award To Placate His Fragile Ego

Yet another group has taken advantage of one of the thinnest-skinned individual's fragile ego to manipulate the current President of the United States.

Joining politicians, foreign nations, foreign billionaires, corporations, and international organizations, the coal industry created a new shiny trinket for MAGA Republican President Donald Trump. On Wednesday, they awarded Trump the completely-not-made-up-just-to-appease-the-POTUS "Undisputed Champion of Beautiful Clean Coal" award.

Keep ReadingShow less
Volodymyr Zelenskyy; Vladyslav Heraskevych
Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images; Robert Michael/Picture Alliance via Getty Images

Zelenksyy Slams Olympics For Disqualifying Ukrainian Athlete Over Helmet Honoring Athletes Killed In War

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke out after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) disqualified Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych for insisting on wearing a helmet painted with the faces of Ukrainian athletes killed by Russia since its 2022 invasion.

Yesterday, the IOC announced that Heraskevych would be barred from competing in that day’s skeleton events in Cortina, citing his refusal to abide by the IOC’s "guidelines on athlete expression." IOC President Kirsty Coventry personally weighed in on the ruling to sideline Heraskevych, saying she "felt it was really important to come and talk to him face-to-face."

Keep ReadingShow less