>Dennis Perrin wrote:
>
>
>> Hell, I've gone through some seriously dark periods in
>>my life, emotionally and financially, so it's not as if I'm blind to that
>>part of existence.
>>
>There is simply no comparison to be made between what one feels in
>response to external disaster (death, illness, injury, financial
>disaster, etc.) and what one feels as the result of clinical depression.
>This has been my own experience and that of every sufferer from
>depression (or bipolar) that I have ever talked to. And on those lists
>of "worst things to say to depressed people" that I mentioned in an
>earlier post, one remark that _always_ gets listed is some statement
>such as yours above.
>
Lesson for today, then: avoid saying innocuous things to depressed
people. Even when expressing sympathy, by saying things like "I've been
through this too," or "I know what it's like," you could _set them off_.
It may be better to try the oposite tactic. Try telling them "I've gone through some seriously dark periods in my life, emotionally and financially, butthat's nothing like what you're goin through." Or maybe "You know, I can't even remotly _imagine_ what you're going through." Or, try something supportive, like "You know, it's very possible that no other human being on earth has ever experienced the maelstrom of despair that you're in right now."
But if you're in doubt as to what approach you should take towards a clinically depressed person, you may wish to play it safe, and _leave them alone_.
Oh, and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, One and All.