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Living with Someone with Depression - How to Help

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Living With Someone With Depression

Living with depression is hard, but living with someone who has depression can be very taxing too. You try to to help them out and love them, but nothing seems to help. Then something goes wrong and they spiral down into depression. Persuading the depressed individual to go and seek professional help is probably one of the best things to do, but there's much more that you can do in addition to that.

Read, Read and Read

If you really want to help out a loved one suffering from depression is read up on it as much as you can. The internet helps for this, but I always turn to books when I need some really good information. Go to a local bookstore, or even better yet, go to the library. The library is a great place to find information, and it's almost always free (can't think when it wouldn't be free, but just in case). So if you haven't checked out your local library yet, do it, and become a member.

Click Here To Find A Public Library Near You

Encourage Them To Seek Help

After you have read all that you can on the subject, you will realize that ultimately it will come down to whether they are ready to change. You will be able to learn about things that you do that may worsen their depression, and change those things. You will be able to see how their actions are self-destructive or others around them and pull those things out into the open. But it will come down to the depressed individual.

How To Help Them, Help Themselves

After you get done reading a book on overcoming, or beating depression, try to get them to read it too. If they don't want to, you can ask them to read a chapter or excerpt specific to them. Or you could paraphrase all the relevant information and write it down in a notebook, so that you can talk about it with them later (that's what I started out doing).

Great Depression Books on Amazon

It Just Takes Time

Curing depression is possible, it just takes time and more time. Slowly they will open up to you more and more, as long as your caring and loving, but also being assertive and controlling enough to push them slightly out of their comfort zone.

Have Somebody Else To Talk To

If the depressed person you are living with is getting you frustrated, it won't help them to vent how much trouble they are causing you. That will only make them feel guilty. So try to find someone that can give you support when you are feeling down.

Click Here For A Depression Forums and Chat Rooms

Depression - Recommended Reading

If you want to find some great online books about depression, check these out.

Conquer Stress, Depression, and Anxiety
This book is all natural and deals with all 3 sides that are usually associated with Depression. It deals with Stress, Anxiety and Depression, along with other side effects.

Overcome Depression
This book deals with Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), which teaches you the power of positive thinking, plus more.

7 Steps to a Depression Free Life
This book has a 7-step program, that helps set guidelines to help you beat your depression.

Heal Depression Naturally
This author tells about her hard times during life, how she became depressed and how she got a hold of life.

My Personal Blog On Depression

Check this out if you want to stay up to date on my information.

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Terry Apr 3, 2012 @ 7:45 pm | delete

Screw this, I want to be depressed too. No more responsibility? I think ummm fishing will lessen my depression hunny. Yeah...thats it.

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Marianna Jun 3, 2011 @ 7:49 pm | delete

I agree with everything that people have said here.. It's not only silly but VERY HARD to sit and take what the depressed person says to you. I'm sorry too, but being treated so badly by this person has made me think that I have it as well.... I know it's not there fault.. bla bla bla... but these web sites are making you feel like they're the ones being attacked, (by the disease) when really it's the loved ones that are being attacked. It's my mom that has it, which makes it even harder, because I have to live in the same roof as her, depend on her and don't have the option of leaving her as a partner does. I wish there were some actual helpful sites...

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Marianna Jun 3, 2011 @ 7:57 pm | delete

Not that I would leave her if I had the option, don't get me wrong. I am a very understanding person and have put up with alot from her. (I am adopted, so the people reading this thinking I probably have it due to it being inherited that's incorrect.) Anyways, Jamie has also taken the words right out of my mouth as well! I feel put down, screamed at and blamed for no reason without her ever saying sorry. I am A average university student and have gone far in life and have given her no reason for me to make myself feel so badly about myself.. Reading this site so far, I'm the only one that it's not their spouse or friend., I'm not sure what to do... other than getting my own life and try to ignore her rude and mean lashes towards me when she's in one of her moods...

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JAMIE HIGGINS Jan 11, 2011 @ 10:26 am | delete

I GUESS I AM HAVING A HARD TIME UNDERSTANDING ALL OF THIS INFORMATION. I LIVE WITH SOMEONE WHO IS DEPRESSED. ALL I CAN SEEM TO READ IS DON'T VENT YOUR FEELINGS IT MIGHT MAKE THE DEPRESSED PERSON WORSE. YET, YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO SIT BACK AND BE PATIENT AND UNDERSTANDING EVERYTIME THEY LASH OUT AND TAKE IT OUT ON YOU. I AM SORRY, BUT I AM TIRED AT BEING DEGRATED AND LASHED OUT AT BECAUSE SOMEONE IS DEPRESSED AND DON'T THINK THEY HAVE DONE ANYTHING WRONG. YES, I UNDERSTAND IT IS A DISEASE AND I WON'T TO BE THERE AND UNDERSTAND THIS. HOWEVER, ALL I CAN READ IS THAT THIS IS A DISEASE WHICH GIVES SOMEONE AN EXCUSE TO BE LAZY, RUDE, DISOBIDIENT, IRRESPONSIBLE, AND JUST PLAIN BEING A JERK AND DON'T HAVE TO SAY THEY ARE SORRY. EVERYONE KEEPS COMPARING IT TO CANCER, OK, FINE. BUT PEOPLE WITH CANCER HAVE TO STILL BE NICE, WORK, AND STILL TAKE CARE OF THERE RESPONSIBILITIES. YET, I AM NOT ALOUD TO SAY WHAT IS ON MY MIND BECAUSE IT MIGHT HURT THE DEPRESSED PERSONS FEELINGS AND MAKE THEM WORSE. WELL, AFTER YEARS OF BEING TREATED LIKE A NOBODY AND DEGRATED BY A DEPRESSED PERSON FOR SO LONG, I HAVE TO FIGHT BEING DEPRESSED MYSELF, NOW HOW FAIR IS THAT? ARE WE SURE THAT THIS IS IN FACT A DISEASE? IT IS ALMOST AS IF WE HAVE FOUND A REASON OR DISEASE FOR JUST BEING PLAIN LAZY AND IRRESPONSIBLE AND GIVING OURSELFS A REASON NOT TO GROW UP AND BE NICE. I AM NOT SAYING THIS TO BE RUDE, I AM JUST TRYING TO FIND ANSWERS AND HELP. I JUST KEEP READING AND READING AND READING THE SAME THINGS OVER AND OVER AND OVER. DON'T SAY ANYTHING TO A DEPRESSED PERSON REGUARDLESS OF HOW RUDE THEY ARE TO YOU, YOU WILL MAKE THEM WORSE. BESIDES, EVERYDAY LIFE CAN BE DIFFICULT FOR EVERYONE. DEATH, UNFAITHFUL SPOUSE, JOB LOSS, DISOBIDIENT CHILDREN, RUDE PEOPLE, ETC., ETC., THAT IS JUST PLAIN LIFE FOR EVERYONE. SO IF SOMEONE COULD PLEASE HELP ME, I WOULD SURELY APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU.

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Nat Mar 18, 2011 @ 10:54 am | delete

Jamie, You took the words right out of my mouth.... I have a friend who is this way, takes stuff out on me, never says sorry, always looking for pity, but never willing to do anything about it. It's very frustrating, I spend all my money, time (even though I have a BF and 2 beautiful children) and sanity on her. I'm always trying to help, by being there, buying her cigarettes when shes in an awful mood because she doesn't have any, asking her over or offering company when she's down, she just never seems to really appreciate it you know? I'm really her only friend, she has no BF no kids, she's 28. Lives alone with her dog, it's understandable BUT, I've had enough of being made to feel bad because I'm happy. She does go to councelling but it seems to do nothing... They gave her some papers about personality and she HERSELF TOLD ME, that she is a manipulator after reading these! After much reading I discover that I am PERFECT for someone like her to use. No more.
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