When it comes to supporting the people in your life properly, there is a lot that goes into it. While we tend to look at the more obvious things, there can be a lot going on in the minds of the people we care about than we stop to really consider.
Depression is something that tons of people in this world face and it’s not always as clear as you might expect it to be. Now, for those who might be a bit confused depression is a mood disorder that can leave those with it feeling a sense of what many refer to as ‘sadness.’ However, it’s not necessarily sadness at all it for most is more-so numbness and a lack of interest.
Depression has a lot of different symptoms and not all of those symptoms are emotional, some of them are physical. This kind of thing takes a serious toll on those affected by it and can hinder their day-to-day lives depending on the severity and how they respond to it overall. Some people with depression can function normally while others may struggle to even get out of bed.
When someone in our life has depression usually we don’t stop to consider whether the way in which we try to support or care for them is appropriate or not. We might try to force them up and out all the while they’re truly not capable of that in current times or we might get frustrated and tell them to just ‘get over it’ which doesn’t do anything positive for the situation, at all. Sure, this can be an ‘honest mistake’ with good intentions behind it but it can make things worse and should be avoided.
When someone we care for is diagnosed with depression or begins showing signs, we need to go about supporting them and getting them help in a more effective manner. Before anything else you need to work to better understand the symptoms of depression and how they affect people. You don’t need to go into things without working to be aware of what the person in your life is facing.
Rather than forcing this person to get help or trying to make them do things as a whole you need to let them know that you are there for them and that you are concerned about them. If they are not diagnosed yet do make them aware of depression overall and that there is help for it. Let them know that if they need help you are there and willing to go the extra mile for them and that it is no burden.
People who are suffering from this kind of thing often fail to reach out for help because they do not want to ask anything of the people around them. They don’t want you to have to take the time to help them and they would rather see you continue as you were than slow you down with their ‘problems.’ As someone who has faced this kind of thing with a close loved one, I know how stressful and worrisome it can be. You want to take all the bad things away and make them better overnight but that just isn’t possible.
Remind this person that it is alright if they are not capable of doing something and don’t make them feel bad about being unable to followthrough when situations arise. When someone has depression everything is harder for them. This is especially true for those with high functioning depression. While they are able to do things they also are struggling in accomplishing as such.
High functioning depression is what many refer to as the invisible illness because it is a form of depression that those affected carries within. They don’t make their symptoms known and rather than staying in bed or moping around, they get out there and continue on as if nothing is happening. These people are in my opinion the ones who should be cared for the most because they are unable to come to terms themselves with what they’re going through.
Dealing with depression overall is not easy and even caring for someone with it can be a bit more than expected. You have to have patience and be willing to speak up when they’re not saying anything at all. For more information on this kind of thing and how to help those in your life experiencing it please check out the videos below.
Sources:
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/depression/helping-someone-with-depression.htm
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/in-depth/depression/art-20045943
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/symptoms-causes/syc-20356007