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Best friend is depressed.
My best friend, who is also one of my roommates (I'm a freshman in college), is depressed. She just told me that she is seeking help and going to a psychologist but I'm still really worried about her and I don't know how to help her. She is not herself anymore at all. I tried to make her laugh and cheer her up, but she wouldn't even crack a smile. She kept saying nothing interests her anymore. I don't know what could've happened that triggered it..we tell each other everything and I don't think anything happened in her family...we've actually had some of the best times this year together. Everything seemed to be going great.. Then all of a sudden she just wasn't herself anymore. The past week she has been going home instead of staying in the dorm room, and is just not herself at all.
What can I do to help her? What could've caused this? A chemical imbalance or something? And how long will this last... because I hate to see her like this, and I really just want my best friend back. :(
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maybe it's a family problem? if it's really critical, advise her to visit a counselor or psychologist. and if you're close enough, call her mother and tell her about her daughter.
however dont corner your friend and harass her about it, it'll make her more stressed and depressed. give her space, but not too much space. just be there for her if she needs you.
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Depression doesn't necessarily have a trigger. People can be genetically predisposed. The reason it would be coming out now is her age: symptoms often start to appear or get worse when you hit your late teens/early twenties.
What can you do to help her? Listen to her. Don't abandon her, no matter how awful she's being. I lost all but 2 of my friends during my mental health struggles, because I wasn't "fun" any more. Try to get her out of her room, keep her eating healthy and maybe even exercising a little. Don't try to force her into social situations, because that can be really difficult. If she won't do things for her (which is a huge possibility) try to get her to do things for you. YOU need to go for a walk. YOU need to go get food. That sort of thing. Depressed people don't care about themselves, but they are fairly pliable when it comes to doing things for people they care about.
If she is seeing a psychiatrist, it's only a matter of time before she will be put on an antidepressant, likely. Things will start to improve, but it takes a few weeks for antidepressants to reach their full effectiveness. Untreated, depressive periods can last anywhere from a few weeks to years. Fortunately, you can often go off of antidepressants once you're out of the pit.
You are an amazing friend. It's not many people who would stick by someone while they go through this. If you find yourself having a lot of trouble, you can always seek counselling to help you through your friend's tough times. Your school should offer it for free through student services.
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maybe it is boy problem or it seems that she might miss home because she been going home but keep trying maybe your going to crack her and i have no idea how long its going to last sorry and hope she gets better and hope you get your best friend backk
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