How to Help a Friend or Family Member with Depression

What do you do when you’re not the one hurting?

Photo by Dana Tentis from Pixabay.

My husband and I are both prone to depression, but they’re entirely different types.

I am prone to physical depression. I get stupid-headed, with intense brain fog. When I’m depressed, I’m incapable of making decisions. Stringing together plans with more than 2 steps is beyond me. I will sit on the couch for hours, trapped, and unable to decide what to do next. But through it all, I remain optimistic, cheerful, and happy. I just can’t think.

He is prone to more traditional emotional depression. He becomes pessimistic, morose, and despondent. When he’s depressed, he will frequently be unable to get out of bed. If he does manage to drag himself out of bed, he’ll play on one of his devices for hours. Playing video games or watching TV isn’t as bad as reading the news, which only makes him worse.

Unlike my depressed brain, which is incapable of thinking at all, he thinks too well. No matter what he sees or hears, he can think of a million ways it can end badly.

Identifying depression

Everyone’s depression manifests itself with a different set of symptoms and behaviors. That’s one of the reasons why it can take months to be diagnosed the…