People who suffer from major depression experience overwhelming sadness or irritability, trouble concentrating, issues eating and sleeping, hopelessness and loss of pleasure, reports Helpguide.org. Dating when you're depressed can seem hopeless. However, participating in social activities and surrounding yourself with positive people can reduce symptoms of depression. You might not have the energy to meet new people or start a relationship when depressed, but you might wonder how to keep dating if you're already in a relationship when you develop depression or when your depression returns.
Step 1
Reduce your symptoms of depression by getting professional treatment from a mental health professional, such as a social worker or psychologist. Many people live a higher quality of life with the aid of medication, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and counseling, reports MayoClinic.com. Once you have managed your symptoms of depression, dating will be much easier and seem more fun.
Step 2
Take care of your physical health in order to improve your mood and mental health. Helpguide.org recommends regular exercise, eight hours of sleep each night and eating healthfully. If you do these things, you'll also improve your confidence which will help your relationships and make you more appealing to your date.
Step 3
Relieve stress on a regular basis. When you suffer from depression, small amounts of stress can increase your symptoms of depression and make dating seem impossible. Prevent this from occurring by practicing stress reduction techniques, such as meditation and yoga. Also, do one thing each day that will improve your mood and help you to cope with stress such as reading a good book, taking a bubble bath or walking your dog.
Step 4
Prepare for the worst. Relationships end for many reasons and people who experience rejection or breakups sometimes develop depression. You are already more vulnerable than people who don't have major depression, so you need to have a plan in place in case the relationship doesn't work out. Schedule an emergency counseling session and get support from your loved ones.
Tips and Warnings
- If you trust the person you are dating, let him know that you're struggling with depression. This isn't information you would share on a first, second or third date, because you might scare away your date. But, once you've gotten to know each other, you should be able to share these things. If he runs from the relationship, he probably wasn't the right guy anyway.
- Some people with major depression suffer from thoughts of suicide which can increase after a breakup. If you have thoughts of suicide, you need to get immediate help. Call 911 or your therapist or go to your local psychiatric emergency room.
