When someone you love has depression, you may wonder if there is anything you can do to help. The simple answer is yes. Your support and encouragement can play an important role in a loved one’s recovery from depression. Yet taking care of yourself is equally important.
Depression can easily wear you down if you don’t tend to your own needs, making it hard to provide the support your d...epressed friend or family member needs. But with the following guidelines, you can learn how to help a loved one who is depressed while maintaining your own emotional equilibrium.
Helping a depressed friend or family member
Depression is a serious but treatable disorder that affects millions of people, from young to old and from all walks of life. Depression gets in the way of everyday functioning and causes tremendous pain. And it doesn’t just hurt those suffering from it—it impacts everyone around them.
... If someone you love is depressed, you may be experiencing any number of difficult emotions, including helplessness, frustration, anger, fear, guilt, and sadness. These feelings are all normal. It’s not easy dealing with a friend or family member’s depression. And if you don’t take care of yourself, it can become overwhelming.
That said, there are steps you can take to help your loved one. Start by learning about depression and how to talk about it with your friend or family member. But as you reach out, don’t forget to look after your own emotional health. Thinking about your own needs is not an act of selfishness—it’s a necessity. Your emotional strength will allow you to provide the ongoing support your depressed friend or family member needs.
