What to say to someone who is depressed?

Cheer that person up. Life's about hits and misses. Talk to him/her and share the dilemmas he/she is facing. This way you are relieving the person off the burden on his/her head. Contact a therapist, if things worsen.

As a person with depression, the thing that someone wants to hear most is that their sadness is valid. Your sadness is valid, it is not in your head. It does not define you, you are so much more and you have already made it this far. You will accomplish great things. You are important, cherished, loved, and you are more than depression.

I've always found that you don't have to say anything specific. Just be there for them and be honest with and about them.

Offer support to someone who is depressed and make sure they understand that there is help out there and trained professionals that can help them. Refer them if you find necessary.

I don't really think that there is certain words that you can say to someone to make them feel better about that, but just be there for them, let them know that you care, and maybe that will help them.

Offer them all of you: your time, your energy, your presence. Just being there means everything, if you might not know what to say at first.

Active listening is a simple technique to help others. Try and understand things from their perspective. Don't prod them, but encourage them to talk. Ask open-ended questions. Try not to tell them they're wrong. Nobody likes to hear they're wrong, unless they are actively soliciting feedback. Being supportive is the key. You probably cannot fix their woes, but you can be a safe and supportive voice in the choir of influences we all face each day!

Sometimes its not what you say to this person but how you treat them or be with them. Someone who is depressed may hear a lot of advice but sometimes its how you open your ears to be their listener. They are already bombarded with people speaking but sometimes they just want to talk their problems out.

There isn't one magical thing that you can say to help someone going through depression. The best you can do is just be there for them - comfort them, let them know you are there to talk, and always encourage them to open up. Try to be as inclusive and caring as you can, and over time, things might get better for them, because they have someone like you there to help them.

If you know someone's who's depressed that first thing you need to tell them is that you're there for them. And that you'll support them through this. Even if they try pushing you away, you stay there and be there rock. But depression can really knock you about, but it helps to help them stay grounded.