[Serious] Redditors with depression, what is the best thing that the rest of us can do for you?

Quite simply: cut the bullshit. Listen to what we say and do what you say you will.

I'll explain.

3 years ago I got injured at work. That sucks, but that's life. So after a year they fired me for "unrelated reasons" and the insurance company has since tried to bankrupt me in an effort to close my claim. The short version of it all is that it's shit, but that's not my point.

So all the time I see people on facebook putting up that message. "TO ALL MY FRIENDS, I DON'T CARE IF IT'S 7PM OR 2AM, IF YOU NEED ME, MESSAGE ME AND I WILL BE THERE FOR YOU, ALWAYS". You know that bullshit? Yeah that.

One of the biggest contributors to my situation is isolation. I've been stuck at home for 2 years now. I mean I can leave.. but I don't have a job and can't get one. I'm also slowly going broke so going out and doing things really isn't on the cards... not to mention that whole "chronic pain" thing.

So life ain't so good for me you know? It sucks. But I find it really really hard to complain. I'm the definition of "suck it up". I hide my pain when I do see people and I downplay it when asked.

Naturally this leads to people not being overly concerned about you, because you're hiding it. Can't blame them right? Well until one night I was drinking with my closest friends and it allll came out. How much pain I was really in, how scared I was about losing my home and how incredibly lonely and depressed I got sitting around on my own, all day every day for months and months on end.

I also told them the one thing that really helped me get through it. During the week we'd all get online and play a game together for a few hours. Some weeks it was almost every night, others 1 or two. But at least a few times a week I'd be able to get on and play and just talk shit with them.. which is all I needed. And all we did was talk as friends do.. about new games coming up or what everyone was doing in life etc. I never bitched and moaned or even mentioned anything about my issues, I just wanted to talk to my friends and play some games with them.

And that wasn't something we did for me.. it was just something we did and it just so happened it helped me immensely.

Anyway we didn't really bring that night up again beyond some "Hey man we hear you and if you EVER need anything then you let us know" messages. Well I already told them what I needed and that's what we kept doing. For a while anyway.

So what am I doing tonight? And what have I been doing every night for months? Nothing. One of them got a new girlfriend a couple months ago.. so you know, fuck setting aside a few hours a couple nights a week to talk to a lifelong friend. The other is back into WoW/other games/is trying to hook up with some chick/basically just doesn't want to log on/I don't actually know. And because they stopped logging on the other guys (who I'm not particularly close with) stopped logging on and just like that the haven I had a few times a week is gone.

And it's having a noticeable effect. I'm losing motivation with my physical therapy. I'm becoming more depressed. Last week for the first time ever I contemplated suicide, though that passed.

And you know, that's fine. People have their own lives and they're entitled to live them. But if you want to tell someone that you're "always there for them" then how about you don't just add "except when I'm bored with it or trying to get laid, in which case go fuck yourself" with your actions?

Anyway. Yes I'm ranting, yes I'm bitter and yes I'm angry. I guess I never really thought I was asking a lot from them. Silly me.

/r/AskReddit Thread