How Can You Help Your Loved One with Depression?

As a loved one, helping someone with depression can be a challenge. For many people with depression, symptoms usually are severe enough to cause noticeable problems in day-to-day activities, such as work, school, social activities or relationships with others. Other people may feel generally miserable or unhappy without knowing why. Children and teens may show depression by being irritable or cranky rather than sad. Some people with depression may not recognize or acknowledge that they’re depressed. They may not be aware of signs and symptoms of depression, so they may think their feelings are normal. Depression can negatively impact a person’s ability to concentrate on topics of their own choice. Often, depression wants you to only think about the negative—the coworker who doesn’t seem to like you or the endless thoughts about why you haven’t received a call back from the job interview. In turn, these negative thoughts may influence how they act. It may lead to isolation, and a lack of interaction and connection can worsen depression symptoms.

But depression seldom gets better without treatment and may get worse. With the right treatment approach, the person you care about can get better. If someone in your life has depression, you may feel helpless and wonder what to do. Learn how to offer support and understanding and how to help your loved one get the resources to cope with depression. You need to be prepared for dealing with problems—big and small. That includes taking care of your loved one’s mental health. It’s important to step up when things get serious

So, what specific actions can you take in the face of depression? How do you recognize the difference between a sad mood and depression? Would you know what to say or do if your loved one expressed suicidal thoughts? Here are some things you can do to help your loved one suffering from depression:

• Communicate to your loved one that they can come to you with any problem. They may avoid sharing problems with you because they think they should be independent or they worry about burdening you. Explain that you can handle any problem they present to you. They can come to you day or night. 
• Talk to your loved one about what you’ve noticed and why you’re concerned.
• Explain that depression is a medical condition, not a personal flaw or weakness — and that it usually gets better with treatment.
• Suggest seeking help from a professional — a medical doctor or a mental health provider, such as a licensed counselor or psychologist.
• Offer to help prepare a list of questions to discuss in an initial appointment with a doctor or mental health provider.
• Express your willingness to help by setting up appointments, going along to them and attending family therapy sessions.
• Encourage socialization. Obviously you can’t make your loved one have friends or force them to socialize. Help them identify support groups both in-person and online. Communicate regularly and engage their existing and past friends who care about their well-being. Whatever makes your loved one stay in contact with people will help. Just remember, don’t leave loneliness unattended. It won’t go away on its own.
• Encourage them to surround themselves with positive people.Toxic relationships can have a compounding effect on theirmental and physical health. In a long-term study that followed more than 10,000 people for an average of 12.2 years, researchers discovered that subjects in negative relationships were at a greater risk for developing heart problems, including a fatal cardiac event, than counterparts whose close relationships were not negative. With that in mind, imagine how a relationship of this nature affects someone with depression? Someone who already battles negativity and sadness on a daily basis?

If your loved one is experiencing severe symptoms of mental illness such as suicidal thoughts or psychosis, it’s essential to ensure they’re actively engaged in treatment. Request they sign a release of information form allowing you to speak with their mental health provider if they have one. If you feel your loved one’s illness is severe or potentially life-threatening, contact a doctor, a hospital or emergency medical services.