Help Loved Ones with Depression, But Take Care of Yourself
Help Loved Ones with Depression, But Take Care of Yourself
Author: Carolyn Rasmussen is a marketing strategist at the National Center for Telehealth & Technology (T2).
Depression can affect not only how people feel and think about themselves and the world around them, but also daily activities like eating and sleeping, which also affect their health. Watching loved ones cope with symptoms of depression can be tough. If you’re concerned that someone you care about is experiencing this condition, learn to look for the signs of depression.
While there are ways that you can support loved ones who are depressed, offering this support can become emotionally and physically stressful. The AfterDeployment website offers resources to equip you to help a family member or friend who is experiencing depression while also taking care of yourself.
Helping family members or friends
- Learn the facts about depression. Depression is a serious but treatable condition. If you haven’t experienced clinical depression yourself, it may be difficult for you to understand what your loved one is going through. It’s not something that a person can just get over — it takes time and may require professional treatment.
- Encourage your loved one to seek (or remain in) treatment. Because depression reduces energy and motivation, even making an appointment with a doctor or therapist can be challenging. Offer to help your family member or friend find a therapist or counselor, and to be there for their first appointment. For people who are in treatment already, ask them how they are doing and offer to help with therapy techniques — such as exercises or journaling — outside of sessions.
- Be a good listener. It’s normal to want to offer advice when loved ones share their problems or concerns, but in many cases they simply want to be heard. Practice your active listening skills.
- Participate in healthy, fun activities together. Invite your loved ones to go for a walk, join you for a yoga class, head to a movie, or go out to dinner. They may initially refuse, but be gentle and persistent. If they decline one day, ask them to do something else again soon.
- Get immediate help for a crisis. Whenever you believe that loved ones are about to hurt themselves, don’t leave them alone or ignore the issue. Get them to an emergency room or call the Military Crisis Line at 800-273-8255 (press 1) or text 838255.
Taking care of yourself
- Set limits. Keep your daily routines when you can, and continue doing the things you enjoy. While you may have to adjust your routine to support your loved one, do your best to keep your own life on track.
- Seek support. Whether it’s confiding in a trusted friend or seeking professional counseling, having a way to share your feelings will help.
- Practice stress-reducing activities. Deep breathing has been proven effective at reducing anxiety and relieving stress. Try the free Breathe2Relax app to learn and practice this technique.
- Take this brief caregiver stress assessment to gauge your level of stress as you support your loved one, and check out some of these AfterDeployment resources on other topics, including life stress, anxiety, and health and wellness.
Remember, you’ve got to pace yourself to be able to lend assistance. Just like with a water rescue, you’ve got to keep your own head above water if you want to help someone else.
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