How To Help A Friend Or Family Member With Depression
Perhaps one of us has a family member or friend who suffers from depression, and while it is extremely painful for the person suffering from it, it is also often very difficult for those around the patient. This is because, sometimes, it is very difficult to understand… The disease generates many uncertainties for those who are not suffering from it, so it is difficult to know how to act.
What can we do?
People who are close to those who suffer from depression play an essential role in the support they can offer and give to the patient. We can help them in a few ways:
– Understanding how the disease is, and learning to know the symptoms it presents.
Depression is a disease like any other, its appearance depends on many factors and not just the person – as stated by many incorrect popular beliefs. In other words, depression requires a diagnosis and a specific treatment.
Only healthcare professionals can diagnose the disease in a person, based on specific criteria. We can read books and safe information, consult different professionals to improve our understanding of depression, so that we can help our loved ones.
– Helping them to continue with the proper treatment.
There are many treatments for depression, but despite this, there are still many people who do not seek help.
It is very important to look for the correct treatment for depression, because:
– She has treatment ;
– Treatment reduces, over time, pain and suffering;
– The longer the duration of the disease, the more complications will occur during treatment;
– It can prevent some serious consequences of depression, such as a suicide attempt.
We, as family members or friends, can help the person to continue the treatment, in addition to trying to make our loved one have a healthy lifestyle (good nutrition, regular exercise, etc.).
– Supporting, not oppressing or protecting too much.
For support to be effective, it must be offered at a distance, without oppressing the person, giving affection and showing understanding and patience. It turns out to be useless to overload the person with advice, or even orders, as this only increases the feelings of guilt and helplessness that the patient already has.
Depression is a disease, it’s no use saying “I, in your place…”, or “I understand you perfectly, I know how you feel…”, so you have to remember that, or by chance would you ask a person with the flu to stop having a fever? To reassure the person with depression, we can tell them that we understand their difficulties, that they are not crazy at all, and that it is a disease that affects a large number of people.
The person suffering from depression is usually more sensitive to offers of help, so we shouldn’t be too motherly or too carefree. The person will feel even more useless and will say, more and more, phrases like “I’m no good!” if you do wrong.
It is convenient to know that depressed people get tired quickly, because they continually struggle with fatigue and negative thoughts; so it should not require much effort from them, nor do things against their will. What we can do from time to time is to motivate them with love and understanding. That’s why, when they make an effort, it’s good that we know how to recognize.
Finally, it is important to keep an open attitude, and not discredit the feelings and emotions that our friend or family member demonstrates, offering reality and showing hope in the face of the situation.
– Taking care of ourselves, to support the person suffering from depression.
Depression can turn out to be a long process in which we share our loved one’s sufferings and find the strength to offer them all our support and care. Therefore, it is essential to avoid wear and tear and discouragement.
The predominance of negative thoughts in depression, both about oneself, others and the world, can generate feelings of irritability and, sometimes, rejection in those around them. Below, we offer a series of tips to keep in mind about these types of situations:
– Don’t feel guilty because your loved one has depression. There are no culprits, and this disease can be caused by the convergence of multiple factors (biological, psychological, etc.).
– When you feel powerless, or overwhelmed, it is possible to turn to professionals who can help you; They can guide you through the entire process of disease development.
– If you have a tendency to isolate yourself, it’s worth remembering that it’s not good to be constantly locked in a bubble. Adapt to the situation without paralyzing all your projects.
Remember that in order to take care of another person, we must be healthy, so don’t forget to take care of yourself.
Image Credits: Eli Shaul
