Adjusting to Loving Someone with Depression

An individual who is depressed wants to be happy and mentally healthy. Depression is not enjoyable or fun. Depression is misunderstood and stigmatized. When in a depressed state, people are, for all intents and purposes, prisoners trapped by their own personal demons. Why or how these demons come to be has as many answers as there are people with depression. Fighting depression is not a matter of willpower. An individual with depression cannot simply do as they want. Depression is a captor that denies the individual the ability to enact decisions.

An individual in a depressed state may desperately want to help, support, or be there for a loved one and be completely unable to be. This is not because of a lack of desire, motivation, or will power. It is because of the grip of depression. Depression saps away the ability to move – especially forward. This stagnation is equivalent to being stuck in tar or quicksand; the greater the struggle to break free, the worse the situation becomes.

Understanding that this stagnation is not a choice but a symptom of depression is important for those who have an individual with depression in their life. Loving someone who is battling depression can be painful. It is helpful to keep in mind that however much they let you down, it will never equal how much being in a depressive state lets them down. It is important for those who have an individual with depression in their life to build a strong support network. Those that give support must not lose sight of their own need for support.

Posted on Sunday: 07 June, 2015