Depression is a serious mental health disorder that affects every member of a person's family, especially the person's spouse. Marriages take energy, patience and dedication when both partners are healthy, but when one is struggling with a mental health issue like depression it can result in years of marriage therapy and divorce. Both partners have to make every effort to work through the depression together and seek support from outside sources.
Mood
When someone is suffering from depression, they usually experience feelings of sadness or irritability on a regular basis. The feelings of irritability can easily get taken out on one's spouse. Someone with depression may start arguments with his spouse, become easily angry at his spouse and resort to abuse in some situations. Men are more likely than women to experience feelings of anger and irritability when depressed, and women may mistake this for something other than depression. This can lead to a lack of treatment, which can severely impact a marriage.
Recklessness
Some people who are depressed do reckless things to cope with their feelings such as drink and drive. Some people also self medicate with alcohol and drugs and become dependent on the drugs. These actions can lead to being arrested, being severely hurt or killed. Spouses are greatly impacted by these reckless actions. Usually they are constantly worried about their spouses when they aren't at home, which can lead to overwhelming stress, anxiety and medical issues.
Career
Someone's occupational functioning is significantly impacted when suffering from depression. She may lose her job due to missing multiple days, arriving late continuously and not being able to finish projects on time. Not being able to concentrate is a big factor in depression and can result in someone being demoted or fired. If the breadwinner of the family loses her job due to depression, it would greatly impact her spouse, because he might have to get a second job or look for a higher-paying job.
Suicide
Left untreated, depression can end in suicide or serious suicide attempts. Spouses and all family members are impacted when they lose a loved one to suicide. The spouse may have feelings of anger, guilt, shame, sadness and more after this type of loss. Many spouses feel guilty if they've recently had an argument or did not try to get their loved ones help. This can result in years of individual and family therapy.
