How do you instill hope into someone who has depression and thinks they can't get better?

If I thought I was a purple balloon, does that make me a purple balloon? Have you ever had a friend who was just gorgeous, but they truly believed they were ugly? You can think something, you can know something, you can believe something sooooo much – but that still doesn't make it true. Many, many people have beaten their depression. Even after years and years. Even when it was severe. A big part of depression is that it lies to you. It filters all the information you receive and makes it look the worst. But it isn't real. It FEELS real, I know. But it's not and one day you can be okay. Even if it takes a long time. It's amazing.

I found this video http://www.ted.com/talks/andrew_solomon_depression_the_secret_we_share?language=en to be very helpful when I was depressed.

Well you can't guarantee that anyone with depression will get better. But what you can say is that for many people, they do pull themselves out of it even though they used to feel it would never happen. In short, we humans like to think we're good at predicting the future, but in reality we're poor at it.

You can do little chores around the house, like help them get their house clean and cook something for them when they don't feel they can do it. Or go for a short walk if they feel able to do that. Simply be there is the best thing you can to.

By being there for them and just supporting them, most times all people who suffer with depression need is to know they have at least one person that will always be there, everyone with depression can get better if they allow to be helped, like going to the doctors or talking to a therapist or just someone they trust, talking to someone knowing that they can be trusted can normally let the person suffering know that they are cared about and that there is hope if not now, some point in the future.

You can't wire a persons brain a different way and what I mean by that is, you can't change a person with your words or actions, it has to be themselves doing and wanting it themselves. But you can be there to support them, and that is crucial to overcome depression. If that one person isn't willing to change the way he/she thinks, then I think it would be better to seek professional help.

Try to convince them that hope is still out there but it doesn't always show itself. I can be in the smallest of things and those small things can change your life forever. I can also add in my own experiences considering I had, and still do, have depression and just give them overall advice on the mistakes I've made and how I got through or overcame them.

The best thing you can do is make sure they know that you are there for them and care for them. This will show them that their life means something to someone.

Show them proof - show them people who have been in their situation and have got better, show them the success stories, show them areas in their own lives where they have succeeded and got better. There will never be a point in life where everything will be okay. Life will get better and will get worse, but that's how life works. You live for the good, the bad and the amazing. That's what life is all about. If there was no bad, what value does the good hold?

You need to remind them of the things they are good at and how important there purpose is into everyones lives.