You can help a depressed loved one, even if you feel helpless.

Watching a partner battle depression may be futile. Confusion, impatience, and overwhelm may occur. You may think your partner rejects or dismisses all your “assistance.” You may blame yourself for your partner’s depression. Not alone.

Depression is a lonely illness that makes loved ones feel powerless and frightened.

Serious depression might include anger, hopelessness, discouragement, and sadness. Blaming and yelling are common. Depression causes apathy and social disengagement. Family members say depressed people no longer enjoy delight.

These factors make supporting a depressed partner difficult. Your assistance is essential. Help your companion recover from depression.

Study depression.
Depression is not a chronic ailment, but it must last at least two weeks. Depression sufferers may have several good days before relapsing into depression. Loved ones don’t always understand depression’s cycles.

Depression symptoms include:

Tears or helplessness

cravings (including weight gain or loss)

sleeplessness (sleeping too much or too little)

disinterest in mundane tasks

Fatigue (everything takes longer) (even small tasks can require extra time)

Anxiety

rages

remorse (including ruminating on past events)

Distractions, reasoning, or decision-making

Suicidal and frequent death thoughts

undetected symptoms

Supporting your partner requires understanding the illness. Depression symptoms change. Ask open-ended inquiries and listen empathically to understand your spouse’s sadness. Depression can be researched and discussed with a specialist.

Always there
Showing up for your partner is often best. You may think the greatest approach to help is to discover the best local treatment, support groups, or talk to other depressed people to find out what “works,” but this isn’t always the case.

If you don’t know the answers, sit and listen. You can hug and hold hands. Encourage them:

Please advise.

“You matter,” I said.

Contact me.

“Together, we’ll survive.”

Treatment

Many sad people have symptoms that interfere with work, education, socializing, and love relationships. Others may not realize they are depressed. They may not recognize depression and think they must endure their emotions.

Untreated depression rarely improves. Support your partner by recommending and attending treatment.

Encourage your companion to get treatment:

Describe the signs.