What to Do when Someone You Love is Living with Depression

Living with depression makes life difficult to live at all. This is an article about understanding, not fixing. If someone you know or love is suffering with depression then this may benefit you and help you to understand what they are going through.

Depression has varying degrees. Some people experience depression based on the seasons or weather. Other people have situational depression where things are just not going right in their life. Perhaps someone has died or they are recently unemployed. While still others face the daunting clinical depression where depression needs to actual reason to exist and often the person cannot pinpoint why they are depressed at all. All depression can range from mild to deadly if the person becomes suicidal.

Specifically, my personal experience is with clinical depression. My own depression is not severe, although it has had its low points. For the most part, my depression lays dormant and will hit deeply every few months. At those times, nothing can be said or done to make me happy. My husband often says, "I just can't win." My response is, "Probably not." When someone is depressed, they do not need to be pulled out of it. Don't try too hard to make them smile or make things better. Instead, just talk and listen. Just be there. Make your presence known. Depression can make us feel very alone. It can be beneficial to get someone who is depressed out of their surroundings. As stated previously, don't overdo it. Simply getting them out of their environment can cause a mood change. And spending time with people who care has a positive affect on those who suffer with depression.

If someone you know is living with depression, regardless of your personal feelings on the subject, do not treat it lightly. Do not dismiss their depression. Most importantly, never use the words, "Get over it." This is infuriating. Someone with depression is already feeling alone and turning to them and invalidating their pain is a slap in the face. Whether you believe depression exists or not, whether you share views with Tom Cruise, keep it to yourself or you could make things worse for someone living with depression.