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Depression is a lonely world. It is an illness that naturally isolates a person from the things and people they love. But it is essential in healing that those with depression have friends, family, health providers, and supportive groups around them as they battle their illness. With social support, those with depression can stay connected with life, feel a sense of belonging, gain strength and hope, and visualize a healthier life.

A Need for Belonging

Psychologist Abraham Maslow developed a theory that people have a hierarchy of needs which helps them grow and find fulfillment with their lives. Basic physiological needs like safety, food, and water need to be met first. The next level requires social needs like love, belonging, and esteem. The final levels are intellectual, aesthetic, and self-actualization needs.

These upper levels are growth levels where a person is involved in life, learning, wants to know more, has incentives to do things, appreciates the beauty in life, and then accepts and enjoys themselves for who they are. Maslow stresses that the mid-level of social needs must be met before a person can move up to higher levels.

With a Little Help From Friends: Engaging with Others

Non-depressed friends can help those with depression find a healthy vision of life. There are several benefits of having a support group of friends and family close by a person suffering from depression.

• Be just a phone call away. When a depressed person knows that a trusted friend is on their side and they can depend on them it can give them hope and choices to try and heal with some help.
• Develop plans of activity. When someone with depression feels debilitated, a friend can help ease them back into the activities that they once loved to enjoy and share with others.
• Exercise the body. Friends can help motivate the person to get outside and take a walk, feel the breeze, and hear the birds sing. Any exercise, from walking, yoga, bicycling and tennis will help the person physically and also helps heal depression.
• Understand depressed friends’ moods and what they need. Friends know each other. They might anticipate a change in their depressed friend since they know their moods and what may cause them to have a difficult day or week.
• Be a regular social contact. Friends can check on the depressed individual periodically by sharing exercise, having lunch, seeing a movie, or just meeting for a cup of coffee.

Strength in Numbers: Joining a Support Group

Some people are inclined to not have close friends to begin with. For these individuals it may be helpful to join a support group with others who are going through similar emotions. Even for those who have a best friend or family member to support them, a support group of others sharing a common illness can help create bonds of strength in overcoming depression.

Support groups work together to help the individuals among them. Individuals learn more about themselves as they share their emotions and they see alternative struggles that others in the group have with depression. These groups provide a safe and trusting place to open up and not be judged. There is strength in numbers, and that strength motivates individuals in visualizing recovery.

An individual with depression should never have to fight it alone. Without social support it is almost impossible for someone to pull themselves free of the loneliness, isolation, guilt, and the exhaustion of depression. With the help of friends, family, physicians, and support groups they can find the hope for recovery.