How to Support a Loved One with Depression: 3 Key Ideas to Keep in Mind
Category: Depression
If someone you care about is suffering from depression, you don’t have to feel hopeless. By keeping some key ideas in mind, things can get better one day at a time.
Topic Of Discussion
Depression is the ultimate life-sucker that brings feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness, low mood, lack of sleep, less enjoyment of the good things in life, and even cognitive, physical, and behavioral changes. It’s a leading malady in today’s society that can not only have a profound effect on the depression sufferer, but the sufferer’s caregivers/support system too.
If someone you care about is suffering from depression, you don’t have to feel hopeless, nor do you have to support them alone. By encouraging your loved one to seek professional help and keeping the following key ideas in mind, things can get better one day at a time.
1. Listen and learn
“Do you want advice, or do you want me to listen?” Too often, even the most well-meaning advice can come with some judgment. Let your loved one know you want to know what’s going on with them, and when they’re ready to talk, let them. Listening will give you the insights you need to support your loved one, even as you urge them to seek professional help. Better listening + better understanding = better chances that your loved one will take advice.
2. Community is key
The more people your loved one has to provide them with listening ears, the better. Encourage community activities, whether at a church, a job, in pursuit of a hobby, or by simply creating opportunities to spend time with family and friends. Community helps not only the person with depression, but their caretakers and support system too. Again, you don’t have to go it alone.
3. Keep an eye out
You can’t fix someone else’s depression, but by providing support, you can set your loved one on the path to recovery. That said, perhaps the most important support you can provide is to keep an eye out. People with depression are at a higher risk of harmful behaviors. If you notice your loved one’s depression symptoms worsening or if they are developing new, more serious symptoms, it’s crucial to encourage them to seek professional help.
Wrapping it up
Tri-Star Counseling has trained and sympathetic therapists who can help clients follow the rays of light out of depression and back into healthier living. If you feel a loved one is suffering from depression, contact us today to get help. Depression is treatable and defeatable, and we want to help!
