Helping Someone Manage Depression

[mamajill]

Helping Someone Manage Depression

Medical professionals often remark on how helpful family members and friends can be in reporting changes in depressed patients' symptoms and ensuring that patients consistently take their prescribed medication.

Families need to work together in managing treatment, since mood changes and behaviors affect the whole family, and many issues are involved in treatment. Ways in which you can work as a team are to:

• Partner in treatment. Medications take up to 4 to 6 weeks to take effect, the dosage may need to be adjusted, and medications often need to be changed. You can help your depressed family member or friend by scheduling and tracking medications, making medical appointments, and reporting changes to the medical professional.
• Be understanding. Let your depressed family member or friend continually know that you care. Depressed people need to be reminded that many people are concerned about them.
• Learn about depression. The more understanding you have of the symptoms and issues surrounding depression, the more you can cope, help, and keep your expectations realistic. Review books, brochures, Family Profiles (see www.familyaware.org), and videos on a variety of depression topics.
• Share your feelings as a family. Since depression affects the whole family, it is important for everyone to share their feelings, both the depressed person and caregivers. By talking about issues and emotions, you can uncover what works and what is not helpful to one another.
• Meet with the depressed person's doctor. Meeting with the medical professional from time to time can be very helpful, if your family member or friend with depression will agree to it. You can gain a good understanding of the condition and discuss issues together.
• See a family or couples therapist. Marriages in which a spouse has depression have a much higher likelihood of ending in divorce. Couples therapy can help restore relationships by addressing resentful feelings and honing communication skills. In addition, children with depression in the family need support and ways to become resilient to developing depression themselves. Family therapy helps children understand that they didn't cause the depression, discuss their feelings, and learn coping mechanisms.
• Develop a crisis plan. Talk to your depressed family member or friend about what you will do if there is a crisis, under various circumstances, and where you will take the person. Put the plan in writing.
• Create a support system. Try not to take on caring for a depressed individual all by yourself because it is a difficult task and can bring you down. Talk to other family members about sharing responsibilities.
• Seek immediate help. If at any time your depressed family member or friend talks about death or suicide or may be harmful to you or others, seek immediate help. Contact your doctor, go to your local emergency room, or call 1-800-suicide.

[foreverthankful]

Thank you for this post.  The ideas presented are very helpful.  I think it is very important for everyone to be as open as possible with each other..and to be mindful of the children involved.  I think it is hardest on the little ones as they really don't have the world experience or words to use to express their feelings.

Sometimes I forget as I am so busy trying to "do it all" as my husband suffers from depression.  I forget what this illness means for our son.

Thank you for putting things in perspective.