Helping someone with depression.

Life has never been a bed of roses and struggles in life are inevitable. Life’s struggles, setbacks, and disappointments often lead to sadness or downswings in mood . Therefore, many people tend to use the word “depression” to explain these kinds of feelings, but little did they know that depression is much more than just sadness. Some people describe depression as “living in a black hole” or having a feeling of impending doom, but some people feels the opposite. Some of them feel utterly lifeless, apathetic or even emptiness that is slowly engulfing them from inside . This interferes your daily life and it seeps through every corner of your feelings.

As time goes by, the helplessness , hopelessness, and worthlessness intensifies bit by bit until it engulfs you entirely . Depression is like a parasite living inside you , except that it does not feed on nutrients but on negative emotions instead. Therefore, depression should not be neglected because it really is a major problem. Here are some ways to help and support a friend with depression.

1.Encouraging the person to seek help
Although you can’t control someone else’s recovery from depression, you can encourage the depressed person to seek help. To get a depressed person into treatment can be pretty difficult because normally they have a high tendency to reject any sort of medical help . Depression greatly saps energy and motivation, therefore even the act of making an appointment or consulting a doctor can seem daunting. Depression also feeds on negative thoughts thus the depressed person may believe that the situation is literally hopeless and treatment is pointless. Because of these hindrances, getting your loved one to admit and to face to the problem and helping them see that it can be solved is an utterly important in depression recovery.

However , in some cases when your loved one refuses getting help, you can always suggest a general check-up with a physician. They might be less anxious about seeing a family doctor than a mental health professional. Having a regular doctor’s visit is actually a great option, since the doctor can rule out medical causes of depression. If the doctor diagnoses depression, the doctor can refer your loved one to a psychiatrist or psychologist. Sometimes, “professional” opinions make all the difference. Finding the right treatment provider can be difficult, however it is often a trial-and-error process. A person in the realm in depression who is already low on energy will need medical assistance, thus seeking help from the professionals will definitely be a smart move! Not only that , it is also crucial to encourage the person to list out the symptoms and ailments to discuss with the doctor, which significantly helps with the diagnosis and for the doctor to find out the root cause of depression.

2.)Supporting your loved one’s treatment
One of the most prominent things you can do to help a friend or relative with depression is to give your unconditional love and support throughout the treatment process. In other words, being compassionate and patient with your loved one is important in the course of helping someone to overcome depression. It is also crucial to provide whatever assistance the person needs (and is willing to accept). Apart from that , it would be beneficial to help your loved one make and keep appointments, research treatment options, and stay on schedule with any treatment prescribe. Next, you should also have realistic expectations. It is undeniably frustrating to watch a depressed friend or loved one struggle, especially when the progress isn’t as satisfying as expected . However, do bear in mind that having patience is important. Even with optimal treatment, recovery from depression is impossible to happen overnight. Furthermore, it is useful to be an example in order to encourage your friend or family member to lead a healthier, mood-boosting lifestyle by doing it yourself for instance maintain a positive outlook, opt a more nutritious meal , avoid alcohol and drugs, exercise, and lean on others for support. Moreover, encourage involvement in activities. Invite your loved one to join you in activities, like going to a funny movie or having dinner at a favourite restaurant. Exercise is especially helpful, so try to get your depressed loved one sweating. If all those are not in your favour ,going on walks together is one of the easiest options. Help put when possible. Small tasks can be burdening for a depressed person to manage. Offer to help out with household responsibilities or chores can lighten their burden thus lifting some stress off them.

3.) Take care of yourself
It is undeniably frustrating, exhausting and upsetting to deal with someone who is experiencing depression. If you want to be there to support your friend you should look after yourself first. Bear in mind that to do the following first you must make sure your own wellbeing is being looked after. Firstly, monitor your mood. Although you might be really concerned about a friend with depression, but it's important that you also monitor your own mood and stress levels. A great way to do this is to rate your mood out of 10 each day, to keep track your daily mood levels. Furthermore, don't give up the things you enjoy and always make sure you spare time to do your favourite things, in other words , have time for yourself and to relax. Relaxation is greatly beneficial for helping you to unwind and deal with stress too. Apart from that, set boundaries because you aren’t going to be able to be there for your friend all of the time. Last but not least, ask for support in times of need. It’s utterly important that you’re getting your own emotional support in the course of helping and supporting others who are dealing with depression. Therefore, it is advisable talk to people you trust about how you’re feeling to avoid bottling up your feelings because accumulation of negative thoughts will attribute to depression too.

As a conclusion , depression should never be neglected because it is a beast living inside you . Therefore ,as a friend or a family member we should always be observant of the people around us and offer a helping hand in their times of needs .