Being helpful even when we know we can't

A friend called me last night in a panic because she found out another friend of hers has been diagnosed with Manic Depression - we know it as bipolar depression. She was going to have her customary high tea with her and needed to know what she will be dealing with and how she could help as a friend.

Her friend is already seeing a private psychologist and on meds.

The great thing about friendship is this, the need to render assistance, where possible - friends do not have to always know how to 'treat' a clinical situation, but just to steer the meeting and conversation so that the patient feels better, not worse about themselves and their situation.

Thankfully, I did a presentation on depression before, during my undergrad years, although it wasn't this type exactly, I do have a pretty good grounding about it. So, all that effort didn't go to waste! My gf was really excited that I could give her a lot of pointers and she felt better about her upcoming tea. I'm glad I could give her an overview in lay terms - and if anything, at least she didn't feel helpless. She was surprised I could actually tell her about her friend - once I knew some background - which also made me feel better about being helpful.

If there is anything I'm good at, it's counseling people in this situation. Perhaps its because I've been there, is there and know what it takes to cope, when all else and everyone else fails. Although it's never advisable to give advice when one is not trained, it's okay to try to know more about it and help another person along. Therapists are as good as their patients would allow them to be and not everyone does it because of passion or ability. This lady has been in therapy for 6 years.

Perhaps if someone from her social network is encouraging, therapy may be able to do it's job properly. So, although my gf is not a therapist, she will be better equipped to handle her friend during an outing that not everyone is judgemental and that it's okay to be sick - we just need to want to get better.