Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

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

Make us preferred on Google

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

SONY PlayStation showcases its fun scenes in home consumption at AWE2026 in Shanghai, China.
CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images

Gamers Are Furiously Sounding Off After PlayStation Announces End To Physical Discs

Physical media fans just got hit with a game-over screen.

Sony announced Wednesday that it will discontinue physical PlayStation game discs starting in January 2028, a move that has already sparked backlash from gamers who aren't exactly thrilled about handing over the last remnants of ownership to digital storefronts.

Keep ReadingShow less
Michael Che and Colin Jost
ALEX EDELMAN/AFP via Getty Images

Michael Che Just Wished Colin Jost Happy Birthday With A Hilariously Brutal Post—And 'SNL' Fans Are Cackling

Perhaps no two celebrities are better at trolling each other than SNL's Michael Che and Colin Jost.

And for Jost's recent birthday, Che decided it was the perfect time to show his friend who's actually the best troll out there.

Keep ReadingShow less
Danny Glover
Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images/Getty Images

Fans Rally Around Danny Glover After He Reveals That He's Living With Alzheimer's Disease In Poignant New Interviews

In an appearance filmed for the TODAY show that aired on Tuesday, actor and activist Danny Glover revealed he, like over 7 million other Americans, is living with Alzheimer's disease. The progressive, fatal neurodegenerative disease causes memory loss and cognitive decline.

The veteran actor has 200 film and TV credits to his name going back almost 50 years. His theatre credits extend even further. Glover has also received several prestigious awards for his decades of humanitarian work and political activism, including the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 2022.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Marsha Blackburn from elevator video
NewsChannel 5

MAGA Senator Tries To Dodge Reporter's Questions Only To Get Thwarted By Elevator In Super Cringey Viral Video

Tennessee Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn was called out after attempting to dodge questions from journalist Ben Hall of NewsChannel 5, the CBS affiliate in Nashville, only to be thwarted by an uncooperative elevator.

Blackburn is the frontrunner in the Republican primary for Tennessee governor; early voting is less than three weeks away and Blackburn has kept a very low profile. That was true even after she just spoken to the Greater Nashville Technology Council for an event members of different media outlets had been invited to attend.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of JD Vance; Joe Biden
@atrupar/X; Scott Olson/Getty Images

JD Vance Just Tried To Make A Pitiful Joke About Biden To U.S. Troops—And It Fell Awkwardly Flat

Vice President JD Vance had people groaning after a joke he made about former President Joe Biden falling on the stairs was met with silence from those who attended an event meant to honor "American military excellence."

Vance was speaking to troops at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, Virginia, at one of many different events designed to honor the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.

Keep ReadingShow less