tw// mental health

a thread of the worst things to say to someone with anxiety or/and depression (or having a hard time) and a few things to say instead :

DISCLAIMER: i am NOT a professional, i am only a teenager who is interested in topics regarding mental health. the things you are about to read are from my own researches and experiences. i am just tired of toxic positivity...

worst things to say :
"it's all in your head"
"just breathe"
"you're overthinking"
"suck it up"
"cheer up"

more things that shouldn't be said :
"relax!"
"you're being extra right now"
"cheer up!"
"we all get sad/stressed sometimes"
"get over it"
"you're so lazy, try to be productive"

and there is undeniably more to add on the list.

we may sometimes think that our words aren't harmful, but telling someone who suffers from depression to "cheer up" causes more harm than good, just like telling someone suffering from anxiety to just "relax!" is.

instead of saying such things - that make it sound easy to feel "better", or to stop being "depressed" - we can try to show SUPPORT and UNDERSTANDING.

here are a few things you could try to say to someone suffering from anxiety :
"i am so proud of you for hanging in there. it must be so tough."
"is there anything i can do to help?"
"i'm here to listen to you. let me know what you need!"

here are a few things you could try to say to someone suffering from depression :
"i am here for you"
"i care about you, let me know if i can do anything to help."
"would you like some company?"
"you matter a lot."
"do you want to talk?"
"it's okay to feel this way."

never blame someone for feeling the way they do. never minimize or invalidate their feelings. be cautious on how you talk to them, because you can easily make things worse (even if you don't do it on purpose).
tell them you understand them, only if you truly do.

also, it is important to seek professional help when needed. so, if someone you know shows signs of depression or anxiety, you may recommend them to seek help.

i am glad that many people are seeing this. i didn't put every single thing to say/not say, but i am pretty sure you got the message.

if you're scared to seek professional help, it's ok! you can talk to a friend or dm me! here are suicide hotlines for all around the world.