One of the most upsetting aspects of the college experience is
dealing with a friend who is depressed or coping with your own
depression. Even more distressing is dealing with others or with
yourself when thoughts of self-harm are involved. Because
depression is fairly common among 18 to 24 year olds, there is a
good chance that it is a problem that you will encounter. You
should know that with time and with appropriate assistance,
depression does lift.The most important thing that you can do is
to get yourself or your friend the level of help that is needed
to get better. In this section, we offer specific suggestions
about how to help a friend or yourself to cope with depression.
We have also included the warning signs for depression and for
suicide to help you recognize when someone really needs
professional assistance. How to help a friend who is depressed:
- Be a good listener - do not minimize or deny the pain your
friend is expressing, let him/her talk freely. - Be non-
judgmental - do not suggest that