Friends and family of people with anxiety and depression disorders suffer almost as much as the person with the illness, reports author and counselor Douglas Bloch. Watching a loved one suffer and not knowing how to help can be tortuous. There are ways you can help and care for loved ones with anxiety and depression.
Step 1
Encourage your loved one to talk about how he is feeling. By helping the person recognize that he has a problem, you may be able to convince him to seek treatment. Many people with anxiety and depression think they are weak or going crazy and do not yet understand that they are sick and can be treated. Bloch reports that only one in three people with mood disorders seeks appropriate treatment.
Step 2
Accompany your friend or family member to the first doctor or therapist appointment to provide moral support. You also may consider sitting in when and if the doctor prescribes medication to treat the anxiety and depression so that you can help to monitor your loved one's medication. This is especially important if the person is elderly. Researchers at the National Alliance on Mental Illness report that one of the main stumbling blocks in treating the elderly with medication is that they forget to take their medications.
Step 3
Learn everything you can about the mood disorders so that you can recognize the symptoms when you see them coming on. Additionally, you may be better suited to recognize when the person starts improving. Your feedback can be useful to the person's health care provider as well as positive support for your loved one. Doctors at the Mayo Clinic report that the more you know about the disease, the better equipped you'll be to handle the mood swings and behaviors of your love one.
Step 4
Find ways to communicate your support rather than trying to control your loved one. Offering to help rather than telling the person to pull it together or snap out of it can be far more productive. You can't talk someone out of feeling depressed or anxious, according to Families for Depression Awareness.
Step 5
Provide positive reinforcement. Mayo Clinic doctors report that people with depression can be very self-deprecating and can use some positive encouragement. Remind your friend of his good qualities and talents. Compliment him on his work, appearance or improvement whenever appropriate.
Step 6
Offer to take your friend or family member on outings with you. Doctors at the Mayo Clinic report that many people who suffer from anxiety and depression disorders can tend to isolate, which exacerbates the condition. Depression can sap motivation and anxiety can heighten fears of new places and social interaction. Take your friend out for walks, to events and family gatherings and monitor his behavior.
Tips and Warnings
- Take care of yourself while you are caring for your loved one. In addition to maintaining a healthy distance, find support groups where you can get advice and support with others who are caring for someone who has a mental disorder. Organizations such as Families for Depression Awareness provide online support groups and referrals to local groups.
- Listen for signs that the person is thinking of harming himself. Talk of suicide should be taken seriously.
