Answer questions about substance abuse, its symptoms, differently. A Guide to Caring. Helping someone with depression can be a challenge. If someone in your life has depression, you may feel helpless and wonder what to do.
Learn to offer support and understanding and to help your loved one get resources to cope with depression. You can't “fix” someone else's depression. As much as you want to, you can't rescue someone from depression or solve their problem. You're not to blame for your loved one's depression, nor are you responsible for their happiness (or lack of it).
While you can offer love and support, ultimately, recovery is in the hands of the depressed person. What would you say to a friend who is depressed? A clinical psychologist gives six recommendations on what to do and shouldn't do to help a person with depression. Depression is often accompanied by feelings of self-loathing, making it difficult for the depressed person to empathize with others and recognize how hurtful their words are. Think about how you would feel if you were dealing with the symptoms of depression and how you would like your friends to react.
She has appeared in several media outlets to promote holistic mental health and well-being and is a speaker on topics such as trauma, holistic mental health treatment, self-care and mindfulness. In contrast, clinical depression generally involves symptoms such as withdrawing from friends and losing interest in activities that one used to enjoy, and these symptoms persist for a much longer period of time, Thames says. While depressive episodes can subside with the right treatment, the possibility of future relapses can affect relationships, Thienhaus says. Depression drains energy and motivation, so even making an appointment or seeing a doctor can seem overwhelming to your loved one.
If your loved one is very depressed, be prepared for the possibility that at some point he or she may have suicidal tendencies. On the other hand, the absence of these signs probably means that depression is not improving and may be worsening, Halaris points out, adding that one of the main concerns in the absence of improvement is if your loved one has suicidal thoughts. They'll also receive Medicare-funded sessions; getting help doesn't have to mean spending hundreds of dollars. You may also need to rethink the words you use to talk about treating depression, since different people may have different ways of looking at the condition, Thames says.
Often, the simple act of talking face to face can go a long way for someone suffering from depression. If you have health insurance, we recommend that you contact your insurer for a list of participating healthcare providers and facilities. For a depressed person who already has low energy, it helps a lot to have help to make calls and discuss options. Depression is a serious but treatable disorder that affects millions of people, from young to old and from all walks of life.
