(updated yet again)
1. Depression? That's
it??
2. Snap out of it!
3. You're just self-centered. Think about somebody else besides yourself.
4. You're just spoiled.
5. You just have a negative outlook on life. Smile, and look on the bright side.
6. That's not a real illness. It's just a mood.
7. Get out more, meet people. Then you'll feel better.
8. Exercise more, then you'll feel better.
9. What are you gonna do, pop pills for the rest of your life? That's sick.
10. Nobody's going to like you if you have that attitude.
11. I don't understand why you're so down. A lot of people have problems worse than yours, and they're managing OK.
12. Give up your drinking/smoking/drugs/overeating/bad habits and you'll feel better. You're doing this to yourself, and it's all your fault.
13. You're a loser, you're uncool. I can't relate.
14. You're living in the past. Forget him/her/it and get on with it.
15. Labels. "You are ____" (a loser, a wimp, lazy, a whiner, self-pitying, selfish, stupid, immature, spoiled......etc.)
16. You EMBARRASS me.
17. You're ruining MY life.
18. You can change - all you need to do is listen to Tom Cruise!!
19. I think you enjoy being depressed. You can't be happy unless you're miserable.
(Why not say these things?? For those of you who don't have clinical depression, it is a DISEASE. Its symptoms are manifested in many ways; mood swings are just part of it. Substance abuse is often a symptom of it. This disease often needs medical treatment, therapy, and a strict diet, to name a few, and many people need to try several approaches before they find one that works. Harsh judgment just makes people feel worse without helping a thing. Oh yeah, and I've been on both ends of this conversation. It's as hard to listen to depressed people as it is to be depressed. What I'm telling you is what does NOT WORK.)
Any other suggestions, anyone? I'm sure you have LOTS.....