There are plenty of resources available for people who suffer from depression. But confronting a loved one who you believe has the condition can be difficult, say doctors at Psych Central. While you may worry about the consequences of offering help that has not been asked for, the consequences of not helping may be worse.
Step 1
Educate yourself first about the signs and symptoms of depression. If your loved one is showing signs of isolation and is withdrawing from people and activities that used to give her pleasure, that may be a sign of depression. Listen for talk about ending it all or hopelessness, which are additional signals of the depression.
Step 2
Bring your loved one to an emergency room or available family physician if you hear any mention of suicide. Depressed people often will talk about taking their own lives before they actually try. Ask your friend or family member if he has thoughts of hurting himself.
Step 3
Offer support and encouragement when your loved one has been diagnosed. Remind her to take her medication and provide assistance with chores and errands. Depression can cause fatigue, and many people who are depressed need a little extra help, especially when they first start taking medication, because it takes a few weeks for the drugs to start working.
Step 4
Listen when your loved one wants to talk. While she may be undergoing therapy, it is often an essential part of the recovery process for depressed people to want others in their lives to understand their condition. Doctors at the Mayo Clinic encourage families and friends to try to listen without judgment or opinions.
Step 5
Help to minimize stress in your loved one's life. Encourage your loved one to make a schedule and to stick to it each day. Help by showing her how to plan meals and activities. Show her how to organize her home and remove clutter that can become overwhelming to a depressive personality trying to recover.
Tips and Warnings
- Remind your loved one that things will improve and that she will feel better at some point once she receives treatment. Trying to provide a cheery atmosphere or joke with a person suffering from depression can sometimes exacerbate an already difficult situation.
- Make sure you take care of yourself--your mental and physical well being--while helping a loved one with depression. Caretakers often neglect their own care or take a loved one's depression as a sign of personal failure. Talk to someone yourself if the disease is affecting you unduly.
Things You'll Need
- Emergency room
