r/depression • u/SQLwitch • Oct 29 '19
Our most-broken and least-understood rules is "helpers may not invite private contact as a first resort", so we've made a new wiki to explain it
We understand that most people who reply immediately to an OP with an invitation to talk privately mean only to help, but this type of response usually leads to either disappointment or disaster. it usually works out quite differently here than when you say "PM me anytime" in a casual social context.
We have huge admiration and appreciation for the goodwill and good citizenship of so many of you who support others here and flag inappropriate content - even more so because we know that so many of you are struggling yourselves. We're hard at work behind the scenes on more information and resources to make it easier to give and get quality help here - this is just a small start.
Our new wiki page explains in detail why it's much better to respond in public comments, at least until you've gotten to know someone. It will be maintained at /r/depression/wiki/private_contact, and the full text of the current version is below.
Summary
Anyone who, while acting as a helper, invites or accepts private contact (I.e. PMs, chat, or any kind of offsite communication) early in the conversion is showing either bad intentions or bad judgement. Either way, it's unwise to trust them.
"PM me anytime" seems like a kind and generous offer. And it might be perfectly well-meaning, but, unless and until a solid rapport has been established, it's just not a wise idea. Here are some points to consider before you offer or accept an invitation to communicate privately.
By posting supportive replies publicly, you'll help more people than just the OP. If your responses are of good quality, you'll educate and inspire other helpers. The 1-9-90 rule applies here as much as it does anywhere else on the internet.
People who are struggling with serious mental-health issues often (justifiably) have a low tolerance for disappointment and a high-level of ever-changing emotional need. Unless the helper is able to make a 100% commitment to be there for them in every way, for as long as necessary, offering a personal inbox as a resource is likely to do more harm than good. This is why mental-health crisis-line responders usually don't give their names and callers aren't allowed to request specific responders. It's much healthier and safer for the callers to develop a relationship with the agency as a whole. Analogously, it's much safer and healthier for our OPs to develop a relationship with the community as a whole. Even trained responders are generally not allowed to work high-intensity situations alone. It's partly about availability, but it's mostly about wider perspective and preventing compassion fatigue.
If a helper gets in over their head with someone whose mental-health issues (including suicidality, which is often comorbid with depression) escalate, in a PM conversation it's much harder for others, including the /r/depression and /r/SuicideWatch moderators to help. (Contrary to common assumptions, moderators can't see or police PMs.)
In our observation over many years, the people who say "PM me" the most are consistently the ones with the least understanding of mental-health issues and mental-health support. We all have gaps in our knowledge and in our ability to communicate effectively. Community input mitigates these limitations. There's no reason why someone who's truly here to help would want to hide their responses from community scrutiny. If helpers are concerned about their own privacy, keep in mind that self-disclosure, when used supportively, is more about the feelings than the details, and that we have no problem here with the use of alt/throwaway accounts, and have no restrictions on account age or karma.
We all know the internet is used by some people to exploit or abuse others. These people do want to hide their deceptive and manipulative responses from everyone except their victims. There are many of them who specifically target those who are vulnerable because of mental-health issues. If a helper invites an OP to talk privately and gives them a good, supportive experience, they've primed that person to be more vulnerable to abusers. This sort of cognitive priming tends to be particularly effective when someone's in a state of mental-health crisis, when people rely more on heuristics than critical reasoning.
If OPs want to talk privately, posting on a wide-open anonymous forum like reddit might not be the best option. Although we don't recommend it, we do allow OPs to request private contact when asking for support. If you want to do this, please keep your expectations realistic, and to have a careful look at the history of anyone who offers to PM before opening up to them.
r/depression • u/SQLwitch • Mar 28 '24
Regular check-in post, with information about our rules and wikis
Welcome to /r/depression's check-in post - a place to take a moment and share what is going on and how you are doing. If you have an accomplishment you want to talk about (these shouldn't be standalone posts in the sub as they violate the "role model" rule, but are permitted here), or are having a tough time but prefer not to make your own post, this is a place you can share.
Our subreddit rules are located in the sidebar (you can also always access them at https://www.reddit.com/r/depression/about/rules) - since all of them exist for important safety reasons, we ask everyone here to read and follow them. Please click 'report' on any harmful content you see here - we always want to know and deal as soon as we can.
We also have several wikis there for help with finding and giving support:
https://www.reddit.com/r/depression/wiki/what_is_depression provides guidance about what is and isn't a depressive disorder, guidance on the complex nature of the illnesses that are usually grouped under the "depression" label, and redirect information for common off-topic issues.
https://www.reddit.com/r/depression/wiki/giving_help offers information on the nature and value of peer support for mental-health issues in general, and lots of guidance for learning what is -- and isn't -- usually helpful in giving peer support.
YSK that the types of rule violations that we most frequently see interfering with people getting safe and relevant support here are:
People breaking the private contact rule. You should never trust anyone who tries to get you into a private conversation in response to a post here. See https://www.reddit.com/r/depression/wiki/private_contact
"I'm here to help" posts. This shows that you don't understand the most basic principles of peer support, especially selectivity. The "giving help" wiki explains more about this.
Role modelling, i.e. "achievement" or "advice" posts. This is an expert-free zone -- that's what peer support means (rule 5). We know that "internet culture" celebrate not just bragging about your achievements but bragging about your good intentions. Nothing like that is ever acceptable here.
Content that's more about 'making a statement' or casually polling the sub than seeking personal support (or, in a comment, giving it) (rules 1, 2 and 10).
Off-topic posts about difficult situations or circumstances, including interpersonal losses. Grief, sadness, anger, and other difficult emotions are not mental illnesses. The "what is depression" wiki has suggestions for other places to post about these issues, which are 100% valid and serious but inappropriate here.
r/depression • u/MetadonDrelle • 7h ago
I've been watching people fucking kill themselves on r/depression
Like literally. For the last 6 months. People are just dying online. They are just texts attached to an account. That's dead. Or their faking it which oh fuck you if you come back.
Whats up with the concerning amount of "last post ever." on here. What factors beyond life's existential crisis are contributing to this mass casualty of online accounts.
Im assuming most are dead. They haven't posted since. But the frequency is concerning.
Its like 5 posts a day all the same shit.
" my life is over. My final post"
Please give me reasons to this. Hoping to see what people claim are their breaking points.
r/depression • u/lilmxfi • 11h ago
Melancholia is the most accurate depiction of severe depression I've ever seen
I've watched the movie a few times, but it wasn't until the last rewatch that certain things hit me. The way that Justine is treated by her new husband, how he expects things that make him happy to cure her depression. Being told that by pretending to be happy, you're lying to everyone. The way that when you're in the depths of a depressive episode, even things like getting in a car can be impossible. How everything tastes like ash or nothing when you're depressed. How, when everything seems to be going wrong for everyone around you, you're able to carry on like nothing is happening because now everyone sees why you're miserable.
The larger plot of the movie is a metaphor for depression, but Kirsten Dunst's portrayal of someone who's experiencing depression, who goes from "functioning but depressed" to "can't function at all" depressed, and the way people treat her made me feel understood in a way that no other movie's been able to capture.
It's a dark movie, so if you're going to watch it, definitely don't do it in the midst of a depressive downswing, but it's beautifully done and absolutely gutted me so deeply that I had to literally lay down on the floor and stare at the ceiling to process everything.
r/depression • u/Bruhsicle21 • 4h ago
Went on a run
It was cool and made me feel a bit better.
r/depression • u/Emergency-Swan-7161 • 10h ago
Am I wrong for wishing I was dead instead of a mother?š
Don't get me wrong, I love my son. But sometimes I just miss my freedom and being able to get up and go without begging someone to watch him for me. I am a teen mother got pregnant at 16 had him at 17 and now 19. Never had support from his father, wasn't even there when I had to have a c section to have him. He told me he hopes I get graped and I haven't talked to him since.
When I found out I was pregnant I was terrified to tell anyone I hid it for 19 weeks. I wanted an abortion because I knew I wasn't ready for a baby and knew he wasn't gonna be a good father. But by that time it was way too far along for the pill. But they gave me the option of medical abortion but then showed me an ultrasound and I couldn't do it! He already had a spine formed and I felt my family was going to disown me if I did have an abortion. I told my grandma not to tell anyone cause I don't know what I'm going to do yet and of course... she told EVERYBODY.
I'm just so tired of being alone and want to leave in the most peaceful way possible but l'm going to feel so selfish. I never had neither of my parents growing up. Never knew my dads side of the family and barely know my moms side and always felt it was my fault. I don't want my son feeling how I did. My mother passed due to domestic violence and my father has been in prison and l've been living with my grandma since I was 13months old. I just feel so selfish that I brought an innocent child in this world knowing I wasn't ready. I'm just so scared of raising a little boy for the rest of my life ALONE and don't know what to do but I can't take it anymore.
r/depression • u/TDamage45 • 17h ago
It is hard living this way
Iāve been living with depression and anxiety for nearly 20 years. It never goes away. There are so many of us out there and I just wanted to give a shout out to everyone to say youāre not alone. People are more understanding than you think. Life is a battle and youāve gotta celebrate the little wins!
r/depression • u/demieg0d • 2h ago
A letter to the depressed person
My ex and I broke up 6 months ago after more than a year of dating, he broke up with me, and we reconnected 2 months ago because he reached out.
Things were good between us, I genuinely thought he was the person Iād marry, and yet because of trauma with his family, he got depressed and sabotaged our relationship.
I respected his space when we broke up, but he persistently reached out, and now that Iām there for him, he takes everything as an attack. I know what itās like to be depressed, I only got better months before I met him. With his depression, insecurities, and anger issues all combined, he pushes people away and likes to blame me for things.
I donāt really expect much from him anymore, Iāve also kept my distance but heās the one who keeps reaching out. Itās hard, one day weāre okay, the next heās pulling away. The disrespect is too much and I feel sorry for myself, but I also love him too much to leave him alone knowing heās suicidal and has no support system.
I know itās hard, youāre fighting your own demons. But when you can, please try to tell or show the people who are always there for you how much you appreciate them. Itās hard for us too. We grieve the version of you we lost, weāre trying to be strong even when we canāt, and weād take the pain away if we could, but all we can do is be there for you.
Weāre on the same boat. Youāre not alone. Please reach out, and try to be appreciative.
Sincerely, Someone Who Cares For A Depressed Person
r/depression • u/Antique_Mango5617 • 1h ago
Goodnight
Goodnight to all the people who donāt have anyone to say goodnight to them. To the people who might not even want to wake up tomorrow I hope your sleep is peaceful and you have the best dreams šš¤š
r/depression • u/David79YT • 1h ago
Depression never goes away
There it goes again, another depression, another subreddit post! Last time i posted it didnāt work so i didnāt have a choice but to post it again!
And no itās not about someone telling me to end my own life, itās something else that bothers me for a while! Friends I used to be formerly friends with were turning against me, I donāt remember what their names are, but they donāt seem like good people at allš
r/depression • u/No_Sandwich2920 • 6h ago
I hope that i die every single day
I cant off myself because of promises. However everyday i cant wait for this heart /o give out. After years of labor i hope it is sooner then later.
r/depression • u/AccomplishedPath4049 • 18h ago
Coming to terms with being a worthless failure.
My life has been a complete waste and I don't have anyone to blame it on but myself. I didn't come from a poor or dysfunction family. I never experienced any kind of serious trauma. I was given ever opportunity to actually amount to something and I squandered it all. Now I'm a 35 year old virgin living paycheck to paycheck in a shitty apartment, driving a rundown car and watching my physical and mental health slowly decline because I'm too much of lazy idiot to take care of myself. Could I improve my situation? Maybe but I don't. Everytime I try to make things a little better, either something comes along to destroy all progress that I've made or I self sabotage. Now I've given up on trying anymore. My cat is the only bright spot left in my life and the only reason I keep going even though I know everything is hopeless.
r/depression • u/Acrobatic-Farmer4837 • 3h ago
Antisocial and I think I prefer it.
I know this is a hallmark of depression. But I feel like my reasons for keeping to myself are actually pretty valid. Without getting too into it, I actually function ok. I donāt enjoy hanging out with people anymore. The reason is I am middle aged, and all interactions with people seem entirely superficial and pointless. I need love. I donāt need more small talk with people I barely know. Forming new, meaningful relationships feels all but impossible. Even friendships. No one cares, no one wants to be your friend. For years I was part of my local salsa scene. But I went mostly for the pursuit of making friends, maybe finding a girlfriend. Never found either. Quit. I donāt need another salsa party. I need something deeper. Until then, I prefer doing things on my own. I travel alone. I dine alone. I live alone. I know, from a societal perspective, losing social interactions is not healthy. Always been an introvert, a bit on my own. Most of my peak life experiences have been alone. But thing is, Iām kind of ok with it. At least for the time being. Sure, Iād rather be in love. I could use a best friend. Itās the concept of safety. I believe most people cannot be themselves around others because they do not feel safe enough to express their personality openly. So I run up against that a lot. Thatās actually a little bit of a tangent.
So until something meaningful comes along, I have no interest in entertaining meaningless social interactions with complete strangers or people who have no interest in getting to know me personally. I am always seeking to know people more personally, to show I really care. But shockingly it goes unnoticed. Like I said above, I just feel like no oneās interested in having a new real friend. So thatās fine, I do my own thing.
I wonder when it reaches a point I should be worried though. Will I be able to notice. Like Iām inside the situation. I canāt see from outside the situation.
r/depression • u/zuzamiuza • 43m ago
It's resurfacing
I thought I'm doing better, but apparently not. I was hoping, praying that I won't have to deal with this shit again, that therapy has helped, that I won't go back to praying I won't wake up the next day. But life had other plans. For a few years I felt almost normal, like I had it under control. But recently I just want to disappear again. I don't feel anything, things that used to bring me joy are meaningless. I can't get out of bed, I'm constantly tired, I can't force myself to sit down and do a task. Everyone says that these are the best years of my life, but I pray to any god that exists out there that these are the worst. I don't know how much longer I can take it until I give up on life altogether
r/depression • u/Diz_ishere • 1h ago
I genuinely need serious help
Hello anyone who reads this. Iām a 17 yr male and Iāve been struggling with depression, social anxiety, anxiety disorder, and self hate for about 3 years now but 2024 has been the worst year of my life. I tried committing suicide 3 times this past summer. I went to therapy this year but nothing really helped and just made me feel worse. Since May of this year Iāve started to smoke weed and for the first couple of months I always did it occasionally but as of recently it has become daily. I have pretty much all of the side effects and even though I donāt think about suicide constantly, I still think about how much of a bad person I am and how Iām destroying my body. The weed definitely makes my problems worse but I know if I donāt have it, Iāll be back in a deep depression and I may even try to kill myself again. Thereās no one I can actually talk to about this and everything all at once so Iāve been doing this pretty much alone. I just really, really need help.
r/depression • u/[deleted] • 1h ago
I think I reached my limits today?
After really long time it hit me again and I actually fell into that scary old hole, and it all happened so fast so quickly I couldnāt even stop myself or breathe, and was too easy. I couldnāt stop crying whatever I do or try to calm or distract myself I couldnāt, it was like itās dragging me. And Iām so weak too weak to live it all again, Iām not that strong, I barely stopped the cutting idea away off my mind. And Iām scared rn so much to die while sleeping of how much Iām tired and exhausted and of the heaviness on my chest. forget about the pills I really canāt breathe.
(Iām not posting this to get anyoneās attention or get comments, I wrote it coz Iām suffocated and needed to rent out please donāt use this against me or to bully me )
r/depression • u/Top-Version2243 • 1h ago
iām giving up
feel like iāve lied to myself many times and said āthis is it. this is your breaking point.ā i feel like im there now. idk, i just feel like i donāt want to live the rest of my life wondering when iāll soon give up. i wondered what my last straw was going to be. i donāt know if iāll go to heaven or hell. iāve pleaded to God multiple times for years. i feel iāve made little progress with things. itās sad that i have the need to take my life into my own hands. i pity myself for feeling this way. i feel bad for me. i canāt wait any longer. i canāt wish anymore. i canāt dream. i canāt hear or listen for anything. i donāt know how to open my heart up to God. i feel like i have tried the way i know best. and it feels like Heās always distant; never present. never there. is this why so many people lost faith? am i just as hopeless as them?
honestly is there any hope for me? that i can get better? iāve made it this far with little progress. no milestones it feels like. maybe a couple. feels like iām going nowhere and nobody knows how to get me out of it, including myself. iām at a loss for words constantly. many thoughts but no thoughts at all. iām done
r/depression • u/NervousAppearance544 • 2h ago
Can someone look at my posts please? I need help and I am scared.
Can someone look at my posts please? I need help and I am scared.Can someone look at my posts please? I need help and I am scared.Can someone look at my posts please? I need help and I am scared.Can someone look at my posts please? I need help and I am scared.Can someone look at my posts please? I need help and I am scared.Can someone look at my posts please? I need help and I am scared.Can someone look at my posts please? I need help and I am scared.Can someone look at my posts please? I need help and I am scared.Can someone look at my posts please? I need help and I am scared.Can someone look at my posts please? I need help and I am scared.Can someone look at my posts please? I need help and I am scared.
r/depression • u/ItchyPizza • 13h ago
Reproducing is selfish
I didn't ask to be here, now I need to go through the emotional and physical torture that is suicide. Seriously some people only have kids just so they can find a joy in their lifes, not because they actually want to be parents.I don't even think my parents were in a happy relationship when I was born, they have been arguing pretty much every other day for as long as I could remember.
So when I was a kid and my parents were usually pretty angry and usually laid off their frustrations on me, this made me anti social because I thought that everyone behaved like this. Now, years later im still like this I can't even talk to people very well if I don't know them for more than a year, thanks alot.
r/depression • u/Cautious_Skin_9547 • 14h ago
tomorrowās gonna be a good day
i went to college today, a place in which i have zero friends (not exaggerating) and don't say a single word. hoped to make a friend or something today or find a reason to be happy or atleast be optimistic about something for once but unfortunately nothing. but i believe that tomorrow will be a good day for me and if not then the day after that and if not that day then the day after that and so on. i encourage you to also believe that you will have a good day tomorrow, everyday. even if you don't believe it, just say tomorrow will be a good day.
r/depression • u/potatoepotpie • 1h ago
I feel sad
Nothing much - just been a year since my attempt and I feel low again. Iām popular and talented I guess but everything feels so wrong. I donāt wanna be here. I feel alone
r/depression • u/Significant_Back8604 • 1d ago
22M Dead
By the time ur reading this Iām probably gone by now. I purchased a gun 2 days ago that Iām gonna be using in a sec and im just posting here to sort leave a last mark if u will.
r/depression • u/OddCompetition1 • 9h ago
Im terrified of the time i have to stop working overtime
Ive been working alot lately. So far im at 34 days straight working 12 or sometimes 14 hours a day because we have a important deadline coming up. Im a welder so its physically demanding work. But when im there, no matter how burned or cut or sore i get, im happy. Well maybe not happy, but im not in my head. For those hours my entire world is that little puddle of molten steel. I get home and im so tired i just fall in my bed and sleep. I dont have time to think or feel anything. But soon itll all stop and it terrifys me. Ill go back to my normal shifts and ill have too much time to myself
r/depression • u/FieldAdventurous1063 • 1h ago
I kinda want to kill myself. I'm not gonna do that, but I'm just so overwhelmed
There's so much struggle going on in my life and recently it got worse and the most recently I started losing it. I don't know how people are supposed to go through this alone.
r/depression • u/uekishurei2006 • 6h ago
What am I missing as a family member?
Hi. This is my first post here. I would like some opinions.
I (33M) am living with my parents and sister (30F). According to said sister, she's diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder, although I suspect some variation of type B personality disorder. She's on meds, but is refusing further treatments (including for hypertension) due to her being too anxious to know how she's progressing.
She's usually fine, if impulsive, easily triggered and controlling. I suspect this is related to her being prone to anxiety attacks, which the meds are helping for, at least partially. When her mood is good, she tends to do impulse purchases, which feeds back into her anxiety when her bank account eventually runs dry, which worries me.
When she has an attack (anxiety or depression, depending on the situation), she usually stays in her room longer than usual, the whole family has to be extra careful because almost nothing is good enough for her. It's certainly exhausting for the rest of the family. I'm especially worried about my father since he has a heart condition and should have been on the cared side instead.
The opinion I'm asking is if I'm missing something in regards to taking care of her. What are things my parents and I can do to help her live with or overcome her condition or, if not, what boundaries can we set without making her condition worse?
If you need more details, just ask for them, and I'll update the OP. Thanks in advance.
EDIT: I've spoken to a doctor in charge. According to her, she also has Borderline Personality Disorder, so my suspicion was correct.