How do you convince someone that life is worth living?

Question

I know someone close to me who is unsure life is worth living. Each day he seems closer and closer to truly believing it's not worth living. He's not suicidal. Nor do I believe he would do anything without me see it coming but it might be closer than I like to believe. He's an average, single, good looking person. He has many friends and no one else knows how he feels. He always talks about the news and the crises around the world. He's intelligent and well spoken. He tells me that everything that was once fun, no longer brings him the enjoyment it once did. His problems don't seem directly associated with anything. He just seems like life is no fun. I've told him to get help but he doesn't think it's a problem. He believes he has no real problem and that he "just doesn't care." I don't know what to do.

Answer 1

Maybe you should try to understand a little better by getting him to elaborate on why he doesn't think life is worth living. What were the things that he "once thought was fun, but isn't any longer"? Perhaps, your friend is looking for a different answer besides death, but actually realizing the sad reality of things. Life truly isn't a great thing, but there is a time to accept this. It just takes some of us longer. Acceptance is the key, and if he can accept that life isn't worth living as long as you don't get to live on he may be a little closer to finding the truth. Not to confuse this with scriptual talk.

Of course, I'm not discouraging from trying to build him up if he's feeling anxiety from it. That's definitely not healthy, and he should maybe get some help if he doesn't ultilmately accept things and move on with his thoughts. It's a sad thing that humans have to accept certain things the way they are. Some are reaching for something else though, it'll always seem to me.

My best advice is to stay close to this person, and make him see that he is wasting alot of time he can be enjoying with the people he loves, and acceptance is the answer.

I also recommend that he avoids medication if he can get his thoughts out with a professional therapist who knows what gets a person of his caliber to tick. I know alot of people go straight to diagnosing someone with depression but, it's not always a imbalance that should be corrected with medication. His thoughts are geniune it seems and your continuance in this with him will most likely help him get his thoughts put together where they should be. Good luck.

Answer 2

Classic signs of clinical depression. Print out the symptoms from on line, or have him look them up. He does not have to have all of the signs in order to be clinically depressed.
Ask him what is different between what he is experiencing & what the signs of depression are.
You are right that he needs professional help. His risk for suicide is higher if any type of depression is a part of the medical history of his family on either side.
Ask him when he started to feel this way. Ask him what else changed in the 3 months prior to these feelings. Sometimes depression is an accumualation of things over time, it just breaks a person down.
Tell your friend what you would want from him if the tables were turned.
Pray for/with him, and don't give up on him.
As depression gets worse, so does skepticism and hopelessnes, it can take some time before he is willing to seek help.
Ask him what his situation would have to look like in order for him to seek help. Ask him what he would advise you to do in his place. You are trying to help him to regain just a bit of objectivity in order to see & address his need.
Blessings on you, he is lucky to have a friend like you, you are more important to him than you realize.

Answer 3

It's depression. If it's been more than two weeks, seeing a doctor and getting some medication will help. Try the book by Martin Seligman, Learned Optimism. That will help him figure out that it won't always be like this, and it's not all bad. Also, see if you can take him to do something to help others, like giving blood or visiting the VA hospital. He needs to see that he can be useful and that other people have it worse.

Answer 4

There are a few things to do buddy .. get him to some fun n Floric stuffs.. tell him if we can improve one person atleast we are worthy.. workout some good time consuming and effective of r all project.. and if possible consult a pscyartist .. thats all buddy .. encorage and make him feel important

Answer 5

First of all, Do you live YOUR life as a prime example?
Does he come to you for advice?
Do you beleive that life is worth living to the utmost fullest and do you pay attention to every detail , ...such as at lunchtime, do you pick up that phone to say hello to your special someone, or to thank them for the note they left you in your wallet, etc??

If he sees YOUR example, and sees how your life shines.....he will WANT to live and will see how worthy life really is.

Answer 6

You should begin talking to this person heart-to-heart, like a guy thing. Pray together with this person and share the word of God to him. The Word of God is truth and is LIFE. It has power to touch people. Ask the Holy Spirit to open his heart to Him and just begin to pray. It is the best thing you can do to help this person.

Answer 7

He may be right , but u tell him that everyone who is born has some purpose in life. So we need to perform our duties well instead of thinking too much...

Answer 8

encourage them and tell them that life holds meaning for them...it just doesn't ahppen overnight...reassure this person that you are their friend and that theres people who want to help....let the person talk it out w/ you and reassure them that you are there for them to help them see this through...