10 Tips for Coping With Depression in a Relationship

These 10 suggestions will benefit both you and your partner.

If you are in a relationship with a depressed person, you probably have a range of conflicting feelings and many unanswered questions 10 Tips for Coping With Depression in a Relationship.

What’s it like to be depressed in reality? What can you do to support them during this difficult time? What effects will their symptoms and care have on your relationship? The experience of depression varies from person to person, but there are a few things you can do to support your loved one and yourself.

1. Educate Yourself

By understanding as much as you can about depression, including its origins, symptoms, and treatments, you can help your loved one. You can conduct your own research on depression or ask your partner’s doctor for some sources. begin with the following reliable sources:

• American Association for Depression and Anxiety
• Alliance for Depression and Bipolar Support
• America’s Mental Health
• Mental Health National Alliance
• A national mental health organisation

2. Separate Fact From Fiction

Many misconceptions exist regarding depression. For instance, depression is not merely the outcome of weakness or indolence. The suffering of your partner might not be “only in their head.” There is no justification for depression. If you don’t know much about depression, educate yourself to dispel stereotypes and stigma 10 Tips for Coping With Depression in a Relationship.

It’s crucial to acknowledge your partner’s emotions and experiences related to this very real sickness with a medical basis. Be aware that it can be treated just like any other illness.

Suicide is a very real risk factor for depression, so it’s crucial to keep your loved one’s surroundings secure (by taking away any alcohol, drugs, or firearms) and to treat any suicidal thoughts seriously.

NOTE

Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 for support and guidance from a qualified counsellor if you are having suicidal thoughts. Call 911 if you or a loved one is in urgent danger.

Visit our National Helpline Database for more information on mental health resources.

3. Take Care of Yourself

Dealing with another person’s depression can be incredibly distressing. It’s acceptable to give yourself some alone time. Self-care is not being a jerk. In reality, you’ll both benefit if you set out time for routines that protect your mind, body, and soul, such as:

• Consuming a balanced diet
• Exercising
• Getting sufficient rest
• Engaging in interests and pursuits you find enjoyable
• Meditating or praying
• Using relaxation techniques
• Time spent in the outdoors
• Maintaining social connections

NOTE

Knowing when to say goodbye can be a crucial part of self-care. Undoubtedly, this choice needs to be thoroughly considered (and ideally, discussed with a mental health professional). However, you might have to leave if it threatens your safety or the protection of your children or yourself.

4. Get Support

It’s acceptable for you to feel annoyed, irate, and disturbed when someone you care about is depressed. But it’s crucial that you don’t let these emotions linger and intensify.

Support groups, therapists, and counsellors are not just for those who are depressed. You can express your emotions, feel supported, and become more cognizant of your own emotional needs by getting professional counselling for yourself.

You can get any questions you have about overcoming a loved one’s depression in therapy. Even if you decide against seeking help from a mental health professional, it’s crucial to rely on your network of supporters during this trying time.

5. Be There for Your Partner

Simply being there for someone who is depressed and expressing your support is one of the most crucial things you can do for them. While they express their feelings, hold them close or simply listen.

Offer to assist them with scheduling appointments or completing some of the everyday tasks that they are finding difficult to complete. Let them know that you are available to help them in any way they require as they recuperate.

6. Don’t Take It Personally

People with depression may act in ways that they typically wouldn’t under regular circumstances. They might become irate, agitated, or reclusive. They might not be as keen as they once were on getting out or doing activities with you. Your significant other can grow bored with sex.

These issues are not personal, nor do they imply that your partner no longer values or cares about you. They are signs of a condition that has to be treated.

7. Help Out Around the House

Similar to when someone has any other disease, they might not feel well enough to handle chores like cleaning the house or paying the bills. Likewise, just like with any other illness, you might need to temporarily take over part of their everyday responsibilities until they recover sufficiently to handle them on their own.

8. Know That Treatment Is Important

To recover from depression, treatment is crucial. By assisting your loved one with medicine adherence and appointment remembrance, you can be of assistance. Reassuring them that asking for help is not a sign of weakness or anything to be embarrassed of is another way you can assist them.

9. Offer Hope

Reminding your spouse of their motivations for continuing to live, whatever they may be, will give them hope. Maybe it’s their children, a cherished pet, their faith, or something else. These individual-specific reasons may encourage individuals to hang on a little longer till the discomfort passes.

10. Demonstrate Your Love

A person suffering from depression may come to feel burdensome and unlovable. Tell and demonstrate your affection for your mate to proactively combat negative thoughts.

Let them know that you (still) love them and that you are aware of how their depression is influencing their thoughts, feelings, and behaviour. Let them know you are here to help them on their path to recovery.