Would you think that a person who suffers from depression would have more patience and understanding for someone else who suffers from depression too?

Depressed people do not relate well to other people, even fellow depressed people.

Lord yes! I cant stand to listen for long, but my mom has had it so she will help, listen, etc… She helps in a local peer support group, too.

Yes but this is not always the case. I had a close family member and a friend who distanced themselves from me at a time I needed them most. They both suffer from depression as well.

If I know that you suffer as well I’ll reach out because I can relate. I never give up on those I care about.

I think depressed people would be more understanding of other people, provided that they survive the ordeal. When you can’t even save yourself, helping other people will be the last thing in your mind.

Putting pressure on a person with chronic depression is the last thing a person should do. Survival is a daily constant for us. It is clear that you don’t understand chronic depression, @mimi.

No, I think they would feed off each other and make the situation for both of them worse.

DBSA is a depression and bipolar network of support groups. The group is non-profit and is run strictly by people suffering from depression and bipolar disorder. I suffer from depression and attended a few meetings at a local chapter. I found it somewhat helpful. My main complaint is that there was no consistency from one week to the next as to who would show up. It would have been nice to have a core group who showed up on relatively regular basis.

I didn’t mean actually saving another depressed person. I meant do you think they’d be more understanding of a fellow depressed person and forgive them for the way the can act because of the depression, just like they expect everyone to understand them, and forgive their behaviors.

I have bipolar disorder and I am very much more understanding of those with any kind of mental illness.

No. I have seen depressed people feed off of other people’s depression. So it gets multiplied.

Simply being around non-depressed people doesn’t seem to help either, because often they compare themselves, and feel worse.