Depression. It happens to the best of us, and it can certainly happen to our friends, too. And, while depression might be difficult for those of us who are stuck in its throes, there are many words of encouragement for a friend who is depressed.
These are some of the best, most encouraging things that you could say to encourage a loved one to feel better.
The Best Words of Encouragement for a Friend Who Is Depressed
Uplifting Depression Quotes & Encouraging Words
- “Any fool can be happy. It takes a man with real heart to make beauty out of the stuff that makes us weep.” – Clive Barker
- “Keep yourself busy if you want to avoid depression. For me, inactivity is the enemy.” – Matt Lucas
- “You say you’re ‘depressed’ – all I see is resilience. You are allowed to feel messed up and inside out. It doesn’t mean you’re defective – it just means you’re human.” – David Mitchell
- “Some days are just bad days, that’s all. You have to experience sadness to know happiness, and I remind myself that not every day is going to be a good day, that’s just the way it is!” – Dita Von Teese
- “Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
- “A pearl is a beautiful thing that is produced by an injured life. It is the tear from the injury of the oyster. The treasure of our being in this world is also produced by an injured life. If we had not been wounded, if we had not been injured, then we will not produce the pearl.”- Stephan Hoeller
Insightful & Thought-Provoking Quotes on Depression
- “Do you not see how necessary a world of pains and troubles is to school an intelligence and make it a soul?”- John Keats
- “I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars.” – Og Mandino
- “There are moments when I wish I could roll back the clock and take all the sadness away, but I have the feeling that if I did, the joy would be gone as well.” – Nicholas Sparks
- “Listen to the people who love you. Believe that they are worth living for even when you don’t believe it. Seek out the memories depression takes away and project them into the future.” – Andrew Solomon
- “Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how’.” – Viktor E. Frankl
- “Even if happiness forgets you a little bit, never completely forget about it.” – Jacques Prevert
In Summary
These thought-provoking and inspiring words of encouragement can help a friend who is depressed. Depression is something that we’ll all experience at some point, but with the proper mindset, it becomes an opportunity for growth.
If your friend’s sadness was caused by the death of a loved one, check out these reassuring quotes that can help one overcome loss. And these quotes can help to teach you about the value of painful emotions so that you can learn and grow from them.