Social Question
How do you respond to your "friends" Facebook memes about being sad and lonely?
I have one acquaintance, and one relative who regularly post memes about being sad and lonely. These are not posts written by them, just forwarded memes.
Neither of these people ever post anything about asking for help, or suggesting things that they have tried such as joining a group, or making a date to meet up with friends, or attending any grief counseling, or going to a doctor or a mental health care professional. The memes are more of a “woe is me” type, or a mild scolding of those of “us” who just scroll down, or don’t engage in the theme of the memes.
My cousin is a drama queen and has made a lot of bad choices in her life, and continues to make bad choices. None of her posts are ever just simple things like posting pictures of a cake she baked, or a vacation she took, or her co-workers doing their thing, or about a fun event she attended. They are generally sad, depressing memes asking people to pray for her (without her ever saying what we should be praying for) or scolding memes about people not doing what they should to “care” for their friends (mostly her).
The other person is just an acquaintance, a friend of a friend, but a person who has many common interests, and is therefore part of several other online groups that I belong to. I have only met her once, and she seemed quite nice.
These memes are posted, if not daily, at least several a week, from both of them. I’m really not sure how to respond.
I have another friend, who I know is specifically suffering from depression, and loneliness, but she rarely posts anything, even though I would love to interact with her more. She lives in another state, so it is not practical for me to visit her, and she rarely texts either. I text with her sister almost every single day. Her sister has told me that she is suffering from depression and loneliness, but has brushed off any suggestions of getting help, from going to a mental health care professional, to getting grief counseling, to joining local clubs with like minded people doing things that she enjoys, to texting the two of us more, and interacting with us, and other friends on Facebook.
I have very lightly hinted to my friend in cards, and online that I would love it if she interacted with us more, but I don’t want to be the person telling her what to do with regards to getting help, even though I think she needs to get some help. Since she brushes off her own sister’s suggestions (the person she is closest to) I think she would feel like she was being ambushed if I told her that I think she needs to get some help. It’s very sad and upsetting, and I don’t want to make things worse for her.
Do you know anyone who posts the sad/lonely memes? How do you react to them? Do you know anyone who is rarely online, but you know truly suffers from being sad and lonely, and what have you done to try and help them, and were your efforts successful?
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