Today is RUOK day. A day to encourage us to talk to those people that we might see sitting by themselves, quietly withdrawn or noticeably upset.
A day to take the time out to talk to someone and most importantly, listen.
The key vision behind the day is to have a “world where we’re all connected and are protected from suicide”.
I am the first to admit that I am a bit clueless when it comes to understanding depression and knowing how to deal with it.
This image has been sent around over the last year and I have wondered if it is a suitable explanation of the illness and how people who suffer from it feel…
My first impressions of this were, shouldn’t the supporting person try to help that person get up, and out. Distract them?
Then I read some of the comments on this post and realised that sometimes it’s best just to spend time with that person, listening or saying nothing. That’s something that I think I struggle with. Being a ‘fixer’, I want to try and resolve the ‘situation’ and make everything better, but I realise that it’s not as simple as that. It takes work, patience, empathy and encouragement.
The RUOK website offers suggestions as the best way to ask ‘R U OK?’
Ask. Listen. Encourage. Follow-up.
I think it’s something that I need to try and do, more than offering suggestions or remedies to my perception of a depressed person’s concerns.
Virgin Mobile, as a sponsor of RUOK day, are suggesting that 4/5 people think we’ve lost the ‘Art of the Conversation’.
I like the idea of calling, rather than texting. I am guilty of the text instead of call approach quite often, but really, is it any easier? Why don’t we call and chat to that person. Surely we’d get a quicker and simpler response?
Virgin Mobile (who I am contracted with) are offering free calls today for all customers. I think that’s a great thing and highly commended.
I am definitely making some calls today. Shouldn’t you?