What do you do when someone says they're depressed or miserable?

[Nomaken]

What do you personally do, or say when somebody mentions they aren't feeling well, or they feel like life is fucking them a lot lately, and/or what do you think someone should say or do in that case?

[McGiver]

i tell them, "yeah, when it rains it pours, but when the sun comes out it sure shines bright."

[lilia]

It depends on who it is.  I go to extremes normally, so if I care about someone, it goes beyond just caring into obsessive worry about making them happy.  In that case, I stress nonstop over how I can fix things (and normally, I can't) for them - probably making matters worse by doing so. 

If it's just an acquaintence or someone I haven't talked to much, I could give a fuck.

[Nomaken]

What are the 3rd and 5th equations on that picture?

[esme456]

I ask why they are feeling depressed ie indulge them, but only for a short while before trying to change
the subject to help them focus on something else

I've found that continually trying to come up with solutions for their depressive mood/problem can be very stressful and self-defeating as you then get into a 'yes but..' type of conversation which can get very annoying!

I've carried people for months online when they're been so depressed that they log off saying highly ambigious stuff that makes you fear they're going to top themselves!

Then you panic and think 'Oh God, what if they find out I was the last person they were IM'ing befoe they did it!  I might be seen as an accessory!'

They come on again next morning and you're like 'Thank God!  You're still Alive!'

That person is now happliy married and living in Brazil so I did good work!   

 

[lilia]

What are the 3rd and 5th equations on that picture?

I'm not sure which you are referring to, but I believe the final equation at the bottom is a Fourier transform.  I could be wrong, though.

[Nomaken]

Middle left.

[lilia]

Middle left.

Ah, okay.  It's d / dx (heart).  A take on a differentiation formula.

[McGiver]

Middle left.

are you talking about this middle left?

[Nomaken]

No, that is left middle.

[McGiver]

No, that is left middle.

what if i were to invert it?


anyways, the picture is an example of what someone can do when someone else comes to them with a tale of woe is me.

not saying i would, but others might.

[Merry Widow]

i say to them: if you were happy every day of your life, you wouldn't be a human being - you'd be a game-show host. 

[purposefulinsanity]

i say to them: if you were happy every day of your life, you wouldn't be a human being - you'd be a game-show host. 

By any chance are you totally obsessing about Heathers right now?    I've lost count of the quotes you've posted- well actually to be fair I wasn't counting but it seems like a lot 

[McGiver]

PI, how do you know so much about the movie?

either a.) you have a photographic memory or b.) you have at one time obsessed over it yourself.

[El]

Say, "Me too," or often that is my response.