Whether it’s your roommate coming home each day and refusing to leave their bed until the next day, or if it’s your significant other who can’t seem to motivate themselves to perform even the simplest of tasks, you may be dealing with someone who is suffering greatly from depression. As a counselor in Parker, Colorado, I understand the pain that you are witnessing, as well as the struggles you may be going through by trying to help this person. Here are a few things you can do to help a loved one who is suffering from depression:
Listen
Do your best to be a compassionate listener, and don’t focus so much on giving advice. Depression is a serious condition that can often make advice sound patronizing or even cruel. Giving small bits of advice, such as suggesting that the two of you go for a walk or do some other small bit of physical activity together, can be beneficial. However, telling your loved one that they need to “just focus on the good and snap out of it” may cause them to isolate you further as time goes on. Just be a listening ear for a while.
Understand
Keep in mind that the symptoms of depression are not personal. The person who is suffering is not angry at you, and they likely don’t even know that they are upsetting you. Depression makes connecting to others difficult, even to those they love the most. Depressed people are also likely to be less careful with their words when they are suffering, which can cause some insults to be thrown your way. This is the depression talking, so do your best not to take the hurtful words to heart.
Talk
If your loved one isn’t seeking help, they may need you to be a gentle push towards help. It’s hard to talk to someone you care about concerning depression, but finding them help may make it worth it in the long run. Don’t expect the first conversation you have about depression to be the last one you have, either. Depression makes it easy for loved ones to isolate themselves, so you may need to bring it up periodically to check in and see if they have sought out any treatment.
Encourage
While some pieces of advice won’t be very helpful to your loved one, others will be. Expressing that you are there for them and that they are not alone may be encouraging, as well as reminding them that the way they are feeling won’t last forever. You may not be able to understand exactly how your loved one feels, but admitting that and saying that you want to do your best to help will let them know that they can trust you with how they are feeling. Remind them that they are important to you! Even if they don’t respond, they certainly are listening and will keep your words in mind when they are feeling low.
Calling Counseling Services of Parker Colorado
Encouraging your loved one to get help may be one of the best things you are able to do for them. It can be hard to motivate a depressed person to get treatment, but encourage them to make an appointment and offer to go with them for the first visit. You can help them create a list of symptoms and things that trouble them on a daily basis so that they know what to talk about. Working with your loved one and encouraging them to contact a professional is one of the most caring things you can do. Please feel free to call us today to set up your appointment.
