Depression – Tips for Sufferers & Those Around Them


Tips for patients suffering from Depression and for people around them

You can observe noticeable changes in people who suffer from depression. For instance, a person who is fun-loving and active would suddenly get filled with grief and despair without any hope towards their life. It’s not that easy to convince a person under depression to get out of it. Lots of people develop guilt and feelings of anger and distress since they feel helpless and incompetent to help their dear ones. In certain situations, they might get into depression themselves which would cause anxiety, fatigue, etc.

Tips:

The following tips provide useful suggestions for people who are around those suffering from depression.

Understand that Depression is a mental sickness:

Depression is generally a psychological disorder that impacts the mood, sleep, ability to enjoy pleasure, and also other positive emotions of life. Depression does not indicate in any way the personal weakness of the person’s behavior or character.

Asking for medical help:

Similar to other disorders, you should get medical help if you find that someone close to you is suffering from depression. This can range from medication to various forms of therapy. If your loved one seems hesitant, you can try starting them off with a nonpharmacological treatment for depression. You must take initiative as a close member of the patient and arrange for their medical appointment. Most of the people who are under depression are not in a position to understand the reason for the necessity of medical advice. They consider that the reason for the depression is due to their personal failure in fulfilling their responsibilities. In spite of this belief, it is necessary and legitimate that the partner or close family member of the patient arrange for medical advice and discuss with a doctor regarding possible treatment options.

Show patience:

Show patience to people under depression. Lots of people under depression act negatively as they are mentally upset. They lose their interest in sexual intercourse and do not actively engage in sex with their partners. In such situations, it is the responsibility of their partners to understand their emotional problems and to treat them well. They should not persuade them or accuse them of any wrongdoings which will exaggerate their guilty feelings.

They do not actually have contended life and they can not justify their negative views towards life. They feel they do not have any probability of success in life. You should try to understand their feelings of depression and physical illness and the psychological reasons behind them. Depressed people do not know to explain their problems, and they often exhibit negative emotions when you ask about the reason for their sadness. Sometimes the depressed people or even hostile and show their anger towards you.

If your friend or family member is under depression for long period, it could also be stressful for you. You should also know your limits of patients and endurance; you must not get too involved with depressed people. Try to meet your acquaintances and friends and engage yourself in positive activities to stay away from the influence of depressed people.

Try to develop a network of friends who help and support you. Do not indulge yourself in guilt feelings and suffer from depression which will also impact your family members. It is the greatest challenge for you and your family members.

Be careful in offering advice to depressed people: Never give harsh advice to depressed people and ask them to go away from you. Particularly people who are under severe depression will experience more sadness and grief when they are in unfamiliar surroundings. A depressed person will find it very hard to put themselves together and need the support of their family members to get away from it.

Do not make any extensive decisions:

People who are under depression should not many any important decisions under this critical stage. They should not plan their personal or professional future under this stage as it will not be equal to the proper decisions taken under a clear state of mind.