Help Your Loved One Deal with the Depression

Depression is a state of mind which is full of negative thoughts. People with depression lose interest in their life and there is hardly any ray of hope left inside them. In such a situation, all they need is a helping hand of a loved one who is there to listen to them and understand what they are going through.

People do not always take mental health seriously. But it is a serious matter that needs our attention as soon as possible. For the awareness of the public, the World Health Organization has declared October 10 as mental health day.

Some hidden symptoms of depression

Some symptoms of depression are completely visible to everyone but there are some hidden symptoms. Someone who is depressed tries to cover up their sadness with a fake smile or laughter no matter how badly they are suffering from inside. Here are some of the hidden symptoms which you should recognize if you are trying to help someone going through a rough patch.

Less appetite

One of the very common symptoms is the loss of appetite. People with depression tend to eat less which causes a drastic change in their weight. They might gain or start losing their weight out of a sudden. Although, some people eat more when they are stressed without thinking of their physical health. It is their way of distracting themselves from all the suffering.

Sleeping more than usual

A little bit of stress makes us sleepless and no matter how hard we try hard but our thoughts and overthinking keep disturbing us. But in the case of depression, people tend to sleep a lot. Sleeping is the best way to escape the real world and it might be due to the neurochemical reactions of the brain.

Over intake of alcohol

Consuming too many drugs and alcohol is also a sign of depression. People with mood disorders turn to drinking too much or consuming drugs to cope up with their feelings and emotions. The feeling of hopelessness and loneliness is the reason why they prefer alcohol and try to run away from the overwhelming emotions.

Excess of fatigue

If you see someone who is always tired and lack the energy to do anything, they might be suffering from depression. It is a very common symptom that can be found in anyone with depression. It does not mean that anybody tired suffers from depression but it is a state of constant tiredness.

Fake laughter

If you are close to someone you can easily judge if someone is genuinely happy or faking their smile. Depressed people force their happiness in front of others to conceal their actual feelings. It takes the close ones to identify when someone is trying to hide their pain.

Surrounded with negative thoughts

It becomes very hard to think positive when you have lost every hope in life. It is the biggest symptom if you notice someone’s behavior. A series of negative thoughts run through their mind which forces them to end their own life. You need to identify this hidden symptom if you want to help someone close to you.

Easily irritable

Getting easily angry and irritated are also the symptoms of depression. Depressed people try to suppress their anger but they get easily irritated and lash out at others for nothing. They get easily triggered, and that is the point when you know someone is not in their right mental state.

Common Reasons for depression

We have discussed the symptoms of depression, but what might be the reason for somebody’s total disinterest in their life. Let’s read some of the common reasons that make people fall into depression and take unusual actions towards their life.

Loneliness

Loneliness can easily become the reason for someone’s depression. People who feel that they are alone and have nobody to share their thoughts and feelings with easily fall into depression.

Issues with past or present relationships

Some people easily cope with the issues in their relationships but some are not able to face the reality and get depressed. It is a very common reason for depression, people with recent heartbreaks or failed marriages suffer from depression.

Stress in life

Except for relationship problems, many other situations depress people. For instance, financial problems, loss of job, a major loss in the stock market. People who are not able to cope up with these losses often try suicide or harm themselves in some other way.

Genetic

Depression is a disease that travels through generations. If you know someone who has a family history of depression, they would be more vulnerable to getting depressed. The genetic disorder does not make it obvious but they become more prone to the bad mental health condition.

Traumatic incidence in childhood

Sometimes, people face some traumatic incident in their childhood and are not able to overcome it. With each passing day, their life feels like heavy baggage of painful memories they have to carry in life.

Personality traits

Not like that someone is born with depression or get it developed in their personality, but the traits of personality like low self-esteem or insecure mindset make them aloof from the rest of the world and they start getting negative thoughts which further leads to depression.

How to offer a helping hand to someone suffering from depression

Offering your help to someone when they are in depression might be the biggest act of kindness on your part. Helping another human selflessly might save their life. But remember that not everybody would ask for it, if you care for someone you have to initiate and support them.

Identification

First of all, identify when someone is in depression. In this article, we have mentioned the symptoms, read all of them carefully, and think if you can relate any of the above with the behavior of your loved one. Even if their symptom is different, do not neglect them. Try noticing them and find out if they need your help or not.

Listen as much as you can

Depressed people most of the time, just need someone who can listen to them. They feel light and better after speaking their heart out. So, be a good listener even if you are not. Think of your listening as a medicine to their problem. The more they share things with you, the more they will feel better.

Offer hope

Depression eradicates all the hope someone can have. So, the best you can say is some words full of hope and motivation. Tell them that things will be fine and you are always there for them. Throw some light on the positive aspects of their life to make them feel positive and better. Do not overdo it as they would distance themselves if you force positive things.

Be there whenever they need

Offering help does not mean that you are there for them whenever you have free time. Instead, spare your time whenever they come to you or when you feel that they are feeling alone. Take them to NLP therapy if they need it.

Take care of yourself

Yes, it does involve taking care of yourself first. If you are happy with yourself then only you would be able to help others. If you are suffering from some bad phase, you cannot heal others. So, offer your help when you are at your best.

Here are some things that you must refrain from doing while healing your loved one from depression.

Don’t take anything personal

If they storm out at you for anything, do not take it personally. It might be their frustration or suppressed anger which is very common in people with depression. Tell yourself that it has nothing to do with you. And instead of reacting, offer a calm response to cool them off.

Do not judge them

If they are telling you the whole story and the reason behind their condition, the worst you can do is judge them. Listen to them with all your heart and keep your judgments aside for later. People suffering from depression need someone to understand them completely without judging them for anything.

Do not blame them

Blaming would ignite the situation and you would be someone to hype their depression. Try and understand that highly depressed might already be blaming themselves for every wrong thing that happened to them. So, make them believe that the whole situation is not at all their fault.

Don’t quit on them

Even if you get tired of their ranting, do not give up on them. You might be their only hope and maybe they are getting better or healing because of you. So, your giving up can worsen the situation.

Do not try to fix them

One thing you should know is you cannot fix them. You can offer your support and help them get through it and you cannot fix them.