Depression in our Loved One’s & Spouses

Depression is a disease

My best friend made a post the other day regarding depression and it brought me back to thinking about this topic again.  I know I've posted about depression previously and my battles with it, but I was thinking about depression and how our loved ones deal with.  I also saw a commercial the other day about people with depression and how it’s not just about them getting treatment on their own.

Depression is also about acceptance and getting help from our loved ones.

I’m a big believer in medication but I think that should be joined with therapy sessions.  But one thing people don’t think about is that depression doesn’t just affect the person who is diagnosed.  It affects the people in their life and those people in turn affect them.  If someone doesn’t know how to treat a person who suffers from depression then the symptoms can be made worse, even with medication, thanks to the misunderstanding of that one individual.

I think that depression is a stigma in our society that needs to stop.  1 in 5 adults suffers from depression.  Why is it something we’re all so scared of even though it’s more common than cancer or diabetes?  By not talking about it we make it an uncomfortable topic for the people who do suffer.  Also, I’ve noticed that some people think it’s funny when I say they should take a mental health day from work.  I’m not joking.  Mental health is important and if you’re stressed then you probably need more than just a 2 day weekend.  I see nothing wrong with calling off sick to work because you’re mentally unwell, as long as you don’t make a habit of it.  Of course if you’re making a habit of it you should probably see a doctor.

So, that commercial I was talking about showed people walking with someone beside them.  One person had a sign with a type of mental illness and the other said something like shoulder to lean on.  It’s very true.  Everyone needs that certain someone to go to, but a mentally unhealthy person needs it even more so.

If your spouse or loved one suffers from depression there are resources out there for you.  These resources will help you learn how to cope with their illness and give you tips on how to help them.  Here are two sites I found that are really great for this Depression & Relationships and Living with a Depressed Spouse.

I can tell you from personal experience that having the people you love support you is very important and essential to your mental wellbeing.