Clinical depression is a serious disease that affects the way a person thinks, acts and feels, according to doctors at the University Health Service Tang Center at the University of California at Berkeley. Individuals diagnosed with clinical depression are unable to control their feelings and reactions and usually require help in managing their symptoms. In addition to being treated by a mental health professional and psychiatrist, people with clinical depression need to rely on help from family and friends.
Step 1
Learn to recognize the signs of clinical depression so that you can help someone get the proper treatment if she hasn't yet been diagnosed. Common symptoms include sleep disturbances and changes in eating patterns, decreased energy and physical symptoms such as stomachaches and headaches that don't respond to treatment. Someone with depression may cry for no reason and have difficulty concentrating. She may begin to neglect her appearance and talk of being hopeless or suicidal.
Step 2
Find a therapist or doctor to see your friend or family member and strongly encourage the person to go through with the appointment. Look for a referral through your local social service agency or call 211, which is a number used nationally to help people find referrals to social service professionals. The 211 program was instituted by the United Way of America and the Alliance for Information and Referral Systems. As of April 2009, 211 referral services were available in 46 states to nearly 80 percent of the U.S. population as well as to 28 percent of the population in Canada.
Step 3
Make decisions for the person without any pressure for them to make choices themselves, which may be difficult when depression hits. A professional coach at Depression Helper recommends choosing a restaurant, for example, rather than asking a depressed person where she might like to eat. When together, speak in normal, modulated tones to avoid upsetting or unduly disturbing the person.
Step 4
Offer encouragement by reminding the person that the depression will pass. If she just started receiving treatment, you may need to remind her that it can take up to four weeks for the medication to begin working. Patience, support and understanding are more effective than preaching or patronizing, report doctors at the National Institute of Mental Health. People with clinical depression cannot just snap out of their dismay and hopelessness.
Tips and Warnings
- Although diversions can be helpful in keeping a depressed person occupied and out of a deep withdrawal, too many distractions can be overwhelming. While you should keep inviting the person to join you on walks or to the movies, don't press.
- Never ignore talk about suicide. Doctors at the National Institute of Mental Health report that suicide is a very real concern for people who are clinically depressed and any mention of the possibility should be reported to the person's doctor or therapist. The person should not be left alone and may require emergency treatment.
Things You'll Need
- List of symptoms
- Therapy referral
