Ten things not to say to a depressed person

I have personal experience of depression. This blog ticks all the boxes of how people can react to mental illness.

Charlotte Walker

Depression is a very common illness.  The World Health Organization estimates that between 5 and 10% of us are, at any given time, suffering from depression which meets the clinical criteria for a mental illness.  Over a person’s life-time, their risk of experiencing clinical depression is 10-20% in women and girls, and slightly less in males.  Yet despite the fact that depression is so widespread, it is apparently still a very misunderstood illness.  That’s the only conclusion I can draw from some of the insensitive, crass and sometimes downright bizarre things people have said to me about my depression over the years.  Do any of these unhelpful comments ring any bells with you?

1) “You don’t need to be depressed!  Just rent a funny movie. Or go and get yourself a massage.” (One of my university lecturers)

The kind of person who says this is lucky.  They have never experienced…

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