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You may not be able to cure depression, but you can make it a lot less lonely.
By D. Begg — Written on Jan 27, 2020
Living with a partner (or even a family member) who suffers from depression or mental illness can feel like a big challenge for most people.
Many of those who find themselves in this position are not sure what to do or how to help someone with depression, especially in a relationship.
Relationships are never easy. And it can be hard talking about the impact of the situation with the affected person who may not even recognize they're dealing with depression.
This makes addressing the issue even more daunting.
Sometimes, when you're married or in a relationship with a depressed person, it's impossible to fully understand their state, which makes you feel frustrated, anxious, or even angry.
In instances when one's spouse has severe depression, misunderstandings can even lead to divorce.
Yet, medical professionals often indicate how important it is to have family support when someone is undergoing treatment for depression. Such support is especially important in the medication process and in attending therapy sessions.
The first key thing in helping a family member who is depressed is to know how to read the true signs of depression, including:
- Irritability, anger, and emotional outbursts
- Loss of interest in things that were previously interested in
- Slow body activity, weakness, or weight loss
- Sleepiness, insomnia, and a frequent complains of tiredness
- Low concentration span, slowed thinking speed, and poor memory
- Increase suicidal thoughts, sadness, and self-blame
- Signs of depression-related diseases such as headaches and back pains.
These are just some of the common depression symptoms. Many others exist.
For example, depression can affect your loved one's ability to perform day-to-day activities at home or in their workplaces.
Adults who go through this can become withdrawn or feel miserable. Teens frequently show increased irritability in a bid to fight the sadness common under depression.
There is no doubt that support from family is highly valuable to helping a loved one deal with depression. However, the form of help each patient needs varies depending on the case at hand.
Here are 7 steps you can help someone you love through their depression.
1. Offer your company during treatment
Since the medication period and treatment for depression can be lengthy, support from other family members is very important.
Offer to accompany them to therapy sessions or help them schedule medication, provide reports to a therapist, or book appointments when the need arises.
2. Lend your emotional support
Many cases of depression cause patients to feel irritable and they become withdrawn. Let the sick person know you care. This can go a long way in aiding the healing process.
Simply text them, call them, hang out with them, or just let them know that you know they're going through this and you're there.
3. Learn more about depression
As the saying goes, knowledge is power. Gaining a deeper understanding of depression helps a great deal in coping with the affected person. It can also help create realistic expectations about that person's condition.
Being informed also helps you educate other family members and the people that interact with the sick family member.
4. Visit a marriage counselor (alone and together)
Obviously this is especially important in cases where the depressed person is a spouse, although your child's depression can negatively impact your marriage, as well.
Depression can easily break the bonds of marriage.
Seeking counseling as a couple can open the eyes of both partners and help each of you cope better.
5. Share your feelings with other family members
There are times when depression can weigh heavily on the whole family when one member is affected. The best way to cope with such a situation is to communicate openly about the experiences each member is having.
This helps each person understand the state of their sick relative and those affected can articulate their frustrations. Handling the challenges together can make handling it much easier.
As much as the depressed person requires emotional help, it's also important to let them know the effect their condition has on the entire family and others.
Ease the burden of carrying the entire weight alone and draw on the cooperation of the sick person.
6. Have an emergency plan in place
It is not uncommon for a depressed person to take drastic actions to deal with their emotions. This can even include attempting suicide
The family member offering help with the depression should always have a contingency plan ready in case something like this ever happens.
7. Take care of yourself
As a caretaker of the depressed partner, you should also take time away from the stressful situation to address your own needs.
Taking great care of yourself helps ensures that your whole family doesn't end up suffering from the same condition due to the weight of carrying this emotional burden.
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Donna Begg is an expert editor, a mentor, analyst, and researcher.