How can friends help a depressive person?
You%26rsquo;ve noticed that someone close to you has a problem with depression, showing signs such as persistent sadness, anxiousness, decreased energy, fatigue, loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities including work or sex, insomnia, early-morning waking or oversleeping, weight gain or weight loss, feelings of hopelessness, feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness, thoughts of death or suicide, suicide attempts, difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions, chronic aches, or persistent bodily symptoms that are not caused by physical disease.
If a person close to you has some, or even most of these symptoms, that person is likely suffering from depression. They needs help, but do you know how to help them adequately?
How to help a depressive person get the right treatment?
Depressive people need encouragement from family and friends to seek treatment to ease their pain. Often people don't know that they are depressive, so they cannot ask for or get the right help. Be there for your loved ones in depression. The most important thing you can do for a depressive person close to you is help him or her get an appropriate diagnosis and treatment for depression. Close relatives or friends who understand that depression is an illness can often convince the depressive person to seek treatment. It isn't always easy, but it can be done, and helping can make you both feel better.
After depression is diagnosed you should monitor whether the depressive person is taking medication. In some cases it may require making an appointment and accompanying the depressive person to the doctor. A family doctor may also be helpful. A psychotherapist can help that person learn more positive ways to think about themselves, change their behavior, cope with problems, or handle relationships.
Remind your loved one of the importance of continuing their treatment. There is a wide choice of medications available that can help relieve the symptoms of depression. It may be necessary for a depressive person to try several different medications before they find the most effective one. Since most antidepressants take several weeks to begin working, a depressive person may need encouragement to continue with the treatment. The combination of psychological therapy and medication is beneficial. Negative thinking fades as treatment begins to take effect.
If all efforts to get the depressive person to doctor fail, you will need to consider how well they are coping. Consultation with a psychiatrist may be useful in this situation.
Learn more about depression
Depression is a mood disorder characterized by sad feelings and a loss of interest in life which does not go away. Most people are sad sometimes, but when that sad feeling last more than a week or two, and has an influence on someone%26rsquo;s daily activities, these are tell-tale signs of depression. A depressive person feels tired, worthless, helpless, and hopeless.
Depression is maybe the most common psychological problem. This disorder is affecting nearly everyone through either personal experience or through via a family member. Learn everything you can about depression to better understand why your loved one behaves the way they do. Learn what depression feels like; get the facts about what depression really is. Educate yourself about their illness and its treatment.
Emotional support for a depressive person
Next thing to do is offer emotional support to the depressive person, which includes encouragement, understanding, patience, and affection. Tell the depressive person that he or she is loved. They deserve to feel better, and will feel better with appropriate care. Listen to the person, don%26rsquo;t interrupt them, and be patient. Give them a shoulder to cry on if that is what they need. A depressive person is probably speaking slower and less clearly. Never accuse them of faking illness or laziness. A depressive person isn't lazy, that is just one of the signs of their illness. Give them some little tasks they can easily accomplish to encourage them, but if you live with that person, you may need to help them out for quite a while, just as you would if that person had any other illness.
Give them hope in whatever form you can, whether faith in God, their love of their children, or anything else that makes them want to go on living.
What should you do if a depressive person talks about suicide?
Some people even tell others about their plans to kill themselves before they actually try to. If a person talks about suicide, take this very seriously. Report that to the depressive person's therapist. If the depressive person is openly suicidal, or is having hallucinations or delusions, you should arrange for hospitalization.
Take care of yourself
Depression can cause people to become withdrawn, rejecting, and irritable. Living with a depressive person is difficult, and feelings of depression can be contagious. It is all too easy to be overcome with feelings of helplessness and hopelessness if you are living with a depressive person. So, go out an do something for yourself. If your partner is in depression, and he has lost interest in sex, don%26rsquo;t think that you are at fault. It doesn't mean they don't love you. Loss of sex drive is a very common symptom of depression. Even if the depressive partner is getting treatment, the situation can be stressful. When people are depressive, they're not the only ones who suffer. It can destroy a relationship. Never confuse the person you love with the illness.
Sometimes you will feel upset and frustrated. You can join a support group to talk with someone about your feelings. Try to get other people involved in helping a depressive person, since doing it on your own can be very hard. Counseling may be useful if the depressive person refuses treatment. Take care of yourself, and remind yourself that it%26rsquo;s not your fault if a person close to you is depressive.
Activities for people suffering from depression
Invite the depressive person to go out to the movies or other activities. Maybe that person will refuse to go out, but you should be very careful when choosing whether or not to insist. You probably know what that person is like. Encourage her to take part of activities which they enjoy, such as sports, hobbies, or cultural activities, but don%26rsquo;t push them. Too many demands can increase the feeling of failure in them.
A depressive person deserves to feel better
Share the things you've learned about depression. A depressive person should know that it isn%26rsquo;t their fault, and that she isn%26rsquo;t weak or worthless. Don't give up too soon. The depressive person may have to hear more than once and from several people that he or she deserves to feel better and can, with proper treatment. With treatment and support of their family or friends most people do get better. You should believe that your loved one will, with time and right help, be healthy again.
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