Starting new relationships can be challenging at the best of times, but in the context of depression, starting new relationships is particularly challenging. How do you meet new people? How do you form new relationships? How do you do this in depression? There is no direct way to meet people. Rather, we typically meet new people by pursuing interests that bring us into contact with other people. Therefore, to build new friendships or relationships in depression, the key is to pursue activities that you enjoy doing and to think about ways of having those activities bring you into contact with other people who enjoy those activities. If you enjoy hiking, join a hiking group. If you are into politics or social activism, join a political party. If you enjoy a solitary activity like photography, take a photography class. Meeting new people then becomes a side effect of engaging in these activities. And this can serve to help with symptoms of depression, because you are engaging in activities you enjoy, while at the same time increasing your social interactions – both of these help a person overcome depression.
There are some important tips to remember when looking to start new friendships or relationships in depression and these include: take an active role; ask questions of the other person; limit your expectations of the interactions; and allow awkwardness.
For more information on understanding your social network, check out this video: https://youtu.be/f-r6kOiBi84
Watch all of my videos for free at: www.psychologyvideos.ca
For more information about Dr. Rami Nader, visit: https://tinyurl.com/y3eu5dfw
For more information about the North Shore Stress and Anxiety Clinic, visit: http://www.nssac.ca
DISCLAIMER: The videos provided here on this YouTube Channel are for informational use only. The video content provided is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. These videos do not establish a psychologist/client relationship. Always seek the advice of your doctor or mental health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read or seen on this channel. Dr. Rami Nader assumes no duty to correct or update the video content nor to resolve or clarify any inconsistent information that may be a part of the video content. Reliance on any content is solely at the viewer’s risk. Dr. Rami Nader hereby disclaims any and all liability to any party for any direct, indirect, implied, punitive, special, incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of the said video content, which is provided as is, and without warranties.
10568 (77)