1. Educate Yourself
One of the best ways to cope with family members who have depression is through education. The doctor or therapist will help design a treatment plan, but it may be left up to the family to see that the treatment plan is followed at home. Depression is a treatable illness and family members are sometimes at a loss to understand the best way to help. Fear, anxiety and frustration are common emotions for the family member who is not affected by depression when it comes to dealing with their loved one.
Education involves seeking out the most effective means to treatment, learning how to cope with depression and the family member and determining when treatment is not working and needs to be altered. Remember that the healthcare professional only sees one side of the depressed person. It may be up to the family to present a well-rounded view of the work and home life.
2. Seek Out Support
Support groups can also help someone cope with family members who have depression. Support groups are not necessarily therapy. Instead, support groups reinforce the feeling that "I am not alone," while facing depression and its treatment. Since depression is a widespread condition, there are large numbers of people who have helped their family member face depression and recover from it. Support groups help give a voice to the family and learn new coping strategies at moments when it may seem difficult to face another day. Online support groups may also be an option if there is not one available in the local community. Take caution when seeking out an online support group, since some communities may be more helpful than others about offering advice and care.
3. Self-Care or Respite Care
Self-care or respite care is also critical to cope with family members who have depression. The situation can seem scary at times or even frustrating. Depression can be best thought of a long journey or marathon instead of a short sprint. Family members will learn many things about themselves that they did not know or did not even want to discover. This self-discovery process can consume quite a bit of energy that needs to be replenished.
Respite allows time away from the situation and moments to recover so that the journey can continue in a positive direction. Self-care has many forms. For some people, it's a bubble bath in the middle of the afternoon. For others it can be a weekend away from their home life. Others still may ask a friend to stop by and stay with their loved one while they take the afternoon to shop at the mall. Respite can be all of those things and more, as long as it allows time to refocus, re-energize and take a fresh perspective on the situation.
