How do I help deep depression?

PO3 Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 04 May 2017 23:23:36 -0400

I'm getting more involved in my command with people suffering from deep depression , I'm getting to understand it and try to help it and see it before it leads to more then it's first phase , we loose enough friends and family to depression and it can be cut down by lending a helping hand to the brothers and sisters in need, dose anyone have any advise on better ways of helping one another ?

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made May 4 at 2017 11:53 PM

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel — Thu, 04 May 2017 23:53:15 -0400

Oy SMSgt Minister Gerald A. "Doc" Thomas COL Mikel J. Burroughs SFC Shirley Whitfield LTC Stephen F. Cynthia Croft SGT Private RallyPoint Member Any Words of Encouragement for this Kind Hearted Seabee, or Some Good Contacts. You Folks are Pretty Good at Picking Me Up when I'm Down!

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made May 5 at 2017 12:02 AM

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel — Fri, 05 May 2017 00:02:59 -0400

PO3 Private RallyPoint Member I am no Shrink. Just a Bad Tempered Retired Navy Spook but if you need someone to Yak at just to Vent Always Feel fee to Vent at me either Here or by Message. There is plenty of other fine folks here that have "Been There, Done That" that you can reach out to.

Response by LTC Stephen F. made May 5 at 2017 12:27 AM

LTC Stephen F. — Fri, 05 May 2017 00:27:06 -0400

Those with deep depression tend to avoid other people PO3 Private RallyPoint Member for many reasons. Close friends tend to recognize changes in people behavior. Don't expect the depressed to openly ask for help. Good friends and close family members need to be able to coax the despondent person to communicate. If that is not successful and you suspect suicidal plans are being made, it is best to contact medical professional with expertise in suicide.
Disclaimer I was clinically depressed for years. By the grace of God I did not kill myself.
Thanks for alerting me PO1 William "Chip" Nagel

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made May 5 at 2017 10:12 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 05 May 2017 10:12:14 -0400

I have dealt with loved ones that suffer from depression. Here's what I've learned. If the depression is situational, i.e. the loss of a loved one, divorce, etc. then having someone to talk to and spend time with is key. But know that this type of depression is normal. It's part of grieving and while there's not set time limit for it, it shouldn't last forever. If it becomes chronic, professional help needs to be sought. People with chronic depression can't just snap out of it. You can't cheer them up. Many times it has to do with a chemical imbalance in the brain and medication is needed. For those people, they should be treated the same as someone with cancer. What I mean by that is a lot of people try to get people out of depression by saying things like "look on the bright side", "it'll be ok", "stop thinking about that if it makes you depressed". These things are no different than telling a cancer patient to just toughen up and muscle through it. Chronic depression is an illness that needs professional medical attention. As loved ones, the best thing we can do is just be there. Don't try to fix them. Just be there to listen. Many depressed people are very aware of their depression and they too think they should be able to stop it. And when they can't it can make matters worse. We just need to reassure them that what they are dealing with is an illness and we are there to support them in every way. We also need to monitor it and let a doctor know if the one we love is getting worse.

Response by COL Mikel J. Burroughs made May 5 at 2017 3:31 PM

COL Mikel J. Burroughs — Fri, 05 May 2017 15:31:54 -0400

PO3 Private RallyPoint Member Connect with me offline and I can introduce you to a group called Sponsor a Vet Life (SAVL) that may be able to provide you with some tools to help others or get those individuals to participate in some live discussions on how to combat it. Send me an email if your interested: [login to see]

Response by SCPO Private RallyPoint Member made May 6 at 2017 11:43 AM

SCPO Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 06 May 2017 11:43:51 -0400

Nothing short of professional counseling, perhaps group therapy, and other medical treatments will suffice. You are talking deep depression. That is no place for you or any layman to be offering advice or counseling. Friendly moral support is fine, but nothing beyond that.

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made May 6 at 2017 11:55 AM

Lt Col Jim Coe — Sat, 06 May 2017 11:55:51 -0400

If you encounter a friend or fellow SM with depression, help them get to professional help. It's not weakness to seek help for depression. Unless you're a trained medical professional, don't try to guide them out of depression. It's a real disease and medical professionals (I'm including psychologists and psychiatrics) can help. The military has several ways to seek help including Chaplains, Emergency Medical Facilities, and "sick call."

On a more personal level, you can be a dependable and compassionate listener. This takes patience and strength. Listen to the person without judging or immediately trying to "fix" their problem (this is very difficult for me). Sometimes they simply need somebody to share their burden. If you can be that person, that's a great capability.

Response by PO3 Private RallyPoint Member made May 7 at 2017 5:51 PM

PO3 Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 07 May 2017 17:51:28 -0400

I took time reading everyone's responses thank you so much for ever word rally point is a good family to belong to and I'm very blessed to have everyone on here ! Thank you again for you're kind supportive words god bless