Platitudes

What do you do when people feed you platitudes and/or idiotic things? My ex-husband was great for this. He was constantly saying things like "Well, what do you have to be depressed about?" or "Just stop feeling like that and you'll feel better." I've had friends say "Well, you hide it well," or "Oh, you'll be fine, just get some sleep," or, worst, "Snap out of it." It makes me want to scream. I mean, really, do you think if I COULD just stop thinking like that, I wouldn't? Do you think I enjoy this crap? So what do you do to handle this? I mean, smacking people upside the head is generally frowned upon, so....

It makes me angry, frustrated and hurt. And I usually play it off like I don't care, but it rips me just a little further internally and when I'm alone I beat myself up over it.

I do the same thing, tealBumblebee, although I do have a couple of friends that I can get up in their faces when they say something stupid. But it's a lot harder with my mum and my sister. They just don't get it and it infuriates me. And I don't want to try to educate them, I don't have the patience for that most of the time, because I'm trying so hard not to see red. It's so frustrating.

I do the same as tealbumblebee, when someone comments.

There has to be a better way to handle it for us depressed people. We shouldn't have to internalize everything and just put up with the stupidity. (Hello. I've entered the angry phase of my depression. Yay. Or something.)

It's annoying but really, what are people supposed to say. There's nothing they can do.

I know there's nothing they can do, but I wish they wouldn't be so dismissive of it. It feels so belittling and condescending, you know? Like they invalidate what we're going thru or that we're just making it up for attention. It's perfectly fine to say "There's nothing I can do to help you but I will be here to listen whenever you need it." Just once, I'd love for someone to say that.

I know, I definitely understand what you're saying and I feel the same way. I guess I'm just trying to think of it differently. People tell me they're here to listen but then in the end they just give up so in that way I'd kind of rather they just not say that.

I can't figure out how to quote, but yes, I get what you're saying and I agree. It would be nice to just have one person who would say "go on, tell me what you're feeling, I'll listen," and really mean it. It makes me skittish and untrusting about talking to anyone about my depression when I know, at some point, they'll all just kind of fade away.

ugh. I should go to bed. I'm starting to overthink this depression thing and that's not a good path for me to go down right now. Thanks for listening to me vent.

"Thank you for your suggestion. I shall take it under advisement."

Heh. I like it.