How can friends help the depressed person?
You noticed that someone close to you have a problem with depression. There are some symptoms of depression: persistent sad, anxious, decreased energy, fatigue, loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities, including work or sex, insomnia, early-morning waking, or oversleeping, either gain or weight loss, feelings of hopelessness, feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness, thoughts of death or suicide, suicide attempts, difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions, chronic aches or persistent bodily symptoms that are not caused by physical disease. If person close to you have most of these symptoms that is probably a depressed person. That person needs help, but you don’t know how to help them.
How to help depressed person to get the right treatment?
Depressed person needs encouragement from family and friends to seek treatment to ease their pain. Often people don't know they are depressed, so they cannot ask for or get the right help. Be there for loved one who is in depression. The most important thing you can do for the depressed person close to you is to help him or her get an appropriate diagnosis and treatment for depression. Close relatives or friends, who understand that depression is an illness, can often convince the depressed person to seek treatment. It isn't always easy to help the depressed person get treatment, but it can be done, and helping can make you both feel better.
After depression is diagnosed you should monitor whether the depressed person is taking medication. In some cases it may require making an appointment and accompanying the depressed person to the doctor. A family doctor may also be helpful. Psychotherapist can help that person to learn more positive ways to think about themselves, change behavior, cope with problems, or handle relationships. Remind your loved one of the importance of continuing their treatments. There is also a wide choice of medications. Medications can help to relieve the symptoms of depression. It may be necessary for the depressed person to try several different medications to find the one most effective for him or her. Since most antidepressants take several weeks to begin working, depressed person need encouragement to continue with the treatment. The combination of psychological therapy and medication is beneficial. Negative thinking fades as treatment begins to take effect. If all efforts to get the depressed person to doctor fail you will need to consider how well they are coping. Consultation with a psychiatrist may be useful in this situation.
Learn more about depression!
First, you should know what depression is. Depression is a disorder in which person has sad feelings and a loss of interest in life, it is a mood disorder, and this sad feeling does not go away. Most of people are sad sometimes, but when that sad feeling last more than a two weeks, and have influence in someone daily activities we can tell that is depression. Depressed person feel tired, worthless, helpless, and hopeless. Depression is maybe the most common psychological problem. This disorder is affecting nearly everyone through either personal experience or through depression in a family member. Learn everything you can about depression, if you know more about depression you can understand depressed person. It will help to understand why your loved one behaves the way they do. Learn what depression feels like; get the facts about what depression really is. Educate yourself about their illness and its treatment.
Emotional support for depressed person
Next thing is to offer emotional support to depressed person, which include encouragement, understanding, patience and affection. Tell the depressed person that he or she is loved. Person with depression deserves to feel better, and will feel better with appropriate care. That is what you should do, if someone close is depressed. Listen to that person, don’t interrupt them, and be patient. Give that person a shoulder to cry on or just listen. Depressed person is probably speaking slower and less clearly. Never accuse the depressed person of faking illness or laziness. Depressive person isn't lazy, that is sign of an illness. Give them some little tasks to encourage. But if you live with that person probably you will do every task. You may need to help that person out for awhile just as you would if that person had any other illness.
Give them hope in whatever form you can. Offer hope to depressed person, which can be their faith in God, their love of their children, or anything else that makes them want to go on living.
What should you do if a depressed person talks about suicide?
You should know that some people even tell another person about a plan to kill themselves before they actually try to. If a person talks about suicide take this very seriously. Report that to the depressed person's therapist. If the depressed person is suicidal or having hallucinations or delusions, you should arrange for hospitalization.
Take care about yourself!
Depression can cause people to become withdrawn, rejecting, and irritable. Living with a depressed person is difficult. Feelings of depression are contagious. It is all too easy to be overcome with feelings of helplessness, and hopelessness if you are living with a depressed person. So, go out do it something for yourself. If your partner is in depression, and he loss he is interest for sex, don’t think that you are fault. . It doesn't mean they don't love you. Loss of sex drive is very common symptom of depression. Even if the depressed partner is getting treatment, the situation can be stressful. When people are depressed, they're not the only ones who suffer. It can destroy a relationship. Never, confuse the person you love with the illness.
Sometimes you will feel upset and frustrated. You can join to support group, or talk with someone about your feelings. Try to get other people involved in helping a person who's depressed, since doing it on your own can be very hard for you. Counseling may be useful for you if the depressed person refuses treatment. Take care about yourself. It is not your fault if person close to you is depressed.
Activities for person with depression
Invite the depressed person to go out, to the movies and other activities. Maybe that person will refuse to go out, you should very careful insist. You probably know what that person is like. Encourage her for activities in witch they enjoy, like sport, hobbies, cultural activities. But, don’t push them. Depressed person is needed to do something with success, but too many demands can increase the feeling of failure.
Depressed person deserves to feel better!
Share the things you've learned about depression. Depressed person should know that isn’t their fault, and that she isn’t weak or worthless. Don't give up too soon. The depressed person may have to hear more than once and from several people that he or she deserves to feel better and can, with proper treatment. With treatment and support close people family, friends most people do get better. You should believe that your beloved one with time and right help will be health again.
