It can be easy to feel overwhelmed, frustrated, or helpless when someone you love has depression — or when you suspect they might but don’t know how to tell for sure.
In general, people with depression also tend to have a very different mindset from people who are simply feeling down. “A person feeling down usually has hope that things will change for the better,” Dr. April Thames says. On the other hand, many (but not all) people with depression experience feelings of hopelessness.
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If someone you care about has been diagnosed with depression or is showing any of these symptoms, knowing how to respond is key. Here are six ways to help someone with depression.
1. Bring Up Your Concerns With Your Loved One
If you notice signs of depression in your loved one, it’s important to calmly share your concerns in a way that is nonjudgmental, says Ole Thienhaus, MD, a retired department head and professor of psychiatry at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson.
It’s also crucial to give your loved one space to talk about what they’re feeling. “Listening is the most important part of beginning to help,” Dr. Thienhaus says.
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2. Help Your Loved One Get Treatment for Depression
Somebody with depression may need help seeking care, both because of a sense of stigma or shame and because their illness makes it harder for them to manage tasks like finding a mental health provider or scheduling an appointment.
Suggesting that you can do these things for them, reminding them when the appointment is coming up, and accompanying them to the visit can help them get treatment sooner rather than later.
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3. Support Your Loved One in Their Day-to-Day Routine
While starting treatment is a crucial component of managing depression, your loved one may still need help with their daily functioning. One good way to help may be offering to go to a therapy appointment with them to hear directly from their mental healthcare provider, says Michelle Riba, MD, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor.
You can also offer to help them with tasks that may feel overwhelming, like grocery shopping, laundry, or cleaning the house, or simply suggest you take a quick walk around the block together to get them out and about, Dr. Riba says.
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