Relationship

31 Ways to Help Your Partner with Depression

February 15, 2022

Depression is like a slow poison that kills a person's identity and breaks it into tatters. A depressed person lives with guilt and shame that make them away from society. They do not want to face the people and live in isolation, which makes things worse. The world around them becomes dark and filled with the sorrows of an unknown burden on their shoulders. It makes them feel heavy, and they want to remove it but can't find a way out.

At this time, a little gesture of love can bring them back to the world. Give them a hand so they can live like other people. It is more crucial when your partner or spouse has depression. They continuously look for your help. And your love, care, and support can help them to escape the dark alley of depression.

To help your partner or spouse, you must know what depression is, its symptoms, causes, and treatment. And how do you know your partner or spouse is depressed. Because sometimes, medication and therapy do not show such progress in recovery from depression. Only your love and support produce synergistic effects with treatment. Your humble words make them feel better.

Here, we share the 31 Ways to Help Your Partner with Depression. It will help you to save your partner or spouse from depression and take life-threatening steps such as suicide.

Learn About Depression

To help and support your partner, you must first know what depression is. For better care and support for your depressed partner or spouse, learn about its causes, symptoms, and treatments. This will help you to put yourself in your partner or spouse's shoes. You will know how that may affect your partner. Because sometimes, actual causes and problems are not clearly shown, we have to dig a little deeper.

Depression is an actual health problem and can be caused without any reason sometimes. It also affects your partner's overall health. A depressed person does not do daily tasks properly, like cleaning and taking baths. You may think they are lazy, but your partner or spouse lives with shame or guilt. And do not know where to start their life or work.

In the beginning, you may see some unwashed dishes that become piles of trash. This can be worse, such as suicidal attempts, if you neglect the symptoms. The symptoms of depression are mild or severe and may vary from person to person. If you see such changes in your partner or spouse, seek treatment immediately.

Feel sad, hopeless, or guilty.
Do not do daily tasks or eat dinner with family or friends.
Changes in appetite, bingeing, or eating less cause weight loss or gain.
Disturbed sleep (too much or too little).
Anxiety or stress.
Anger outburst.
Fatigue and loss of energy.
Difficulty in decision-making or concentrating.
Thinking about death or suicide.

Be There for Your Partner or Spouse

If you notice any symptoms of depression in your partner, try to convince them you are there for your partner. Asure your presence and talk openly about why these changes occur. What are their thoughts and feelings? What do they lack in their life? Show your love and affection to them. Buy some gifts, flowers, and cards for your partner.

Take your partner on a weekend trip, a long drive, a road trip, a movie, shopping, and a romantic holiday. Changes in surroundings make them feel better. It reduces the symptoms and is good for their health. You can also find a hobby for your partners, like painting, sports, dancing, and group talks. Sometimes, these things work secondary to the treatment and reduce the symptoms.

Be a good listener and listen patiently, humbly, and attentively to your partner. Show your partner that he/she is the most important. There is nothing more prior than him/her. Offer your help without any hesitation. Tell your partner you both will pass safely through this period. You will be there for him/her in every way. Remember, simple words can solve the riddles sometimes.

Bring your partner to the bright light of life with little candles of the beautiful memories of both of you. Talk when you both have fun last time or when you feel your love is growing stronger. Share beautiful moments you both spent together. Discuss and rediscover the closeness between the two of you.

8 Questions You Ask to Know About Symptoms

You must ask your partner a few things and questions to know if he/she is depressed. These questions will help to see the severity of the symptoms. Before starting the treatment, you must know how severe the symptoms are.

These simple questions can help to know the real cause of depression. These questions will show you are willing to help your partner and know their condition.

This gives hope to a depressed person if someone knows how they feel. It is like you are offering a hand to your depressed partner to get out from a low and dark pit. Here are the 8 questions you must ask your partner if he/she is in depression.

Can you help me to know how you are feeling?
What activities in which do you enjoy?
Do you enjoy yourself with other people?
How do you sleep more or less than usual?
How do you eat more or less than casual?
How are your energy levels?
Are you able to concentrate on things nowadays?
Do you have thoughts of death or suicide?

6 Questions You Must Avoid to Ask your Partner

Sometimes, a small mistake will make things worse. You must be aware of them to make the therapy effective. Try not to hurt your partner in any way. You must be careful in talking openly to your partner about depression. It may result in angry outbursts and fights.

Be humble because a depressed person may be irritable, angry, and withdrawn. The sudden outburst started with a single word or sentence. Avoid the blame game, as they are already blaming their selves. They are in a shade of guilt, and shame helps them fade out. Make things better around the home with your tone and behavior.

Don't be judgemental and avoid any conflict created undisputedly. Your partner may lose interest in spending time with you or even sleep with you. That may bring a fight between you, and you may feel like losing everything. Give your partner time and space to cope with depression. Here are 6 questions as an example you must ask to avoid from your depressed person.

Why can't you cheer up?
When will you be okay?
Don't I make you happy?
Can't you understand that it is all in your head?
Why are you making such a big deal about this?
Don't you see how lucky you are?

Understand and Validate Your Partner's Feelings

Understanding your partner's feelings is necessary to impose therapy's positive effect. Realize the feelings and things that your partner is going through. Let them know by your actions and talks you are aware of your partner's feelings.

A depressed person does not need sympathy. This may hurt your partner and make them feel bad. Your partner may start to do self-pity rather than to get out of it.

Remember, there is a fine line between sympathy and empathy. You must be careful and do not cross the line. It would be discouraging for your partner. The better way to show empathy is to do what the person says. For example, if your partner says, "they do not see things going better." You should answer that by saying, "It seems like you are not hopeful for the future."

Instead of scolding or blaming your partner, you must answer the question similarly. Do not leave your partner's hand and take them to the right path. "Everything will be okay" or "tomorrow will be better." These phrases

will not make any change in a depressed person. But these can only show sympathy instead of love and care.

Ask Your Partner What They Want from You

Move one step further and ask your partner what they want from you. Ask questions like:

How do I help you?
What do you want me to do for you?

Sometimes, a little time or gesture will be helpful. A depressed person feels solitary and lonely. Maybe they ask to spend more quality time with you. A few minutes from your life can be a game-changer in this case. Sometimes, a person with depression seeks your attention and love in most cases.

Little gestures like hugs and holding a hand can soothe the distress and give heartfelt comfort. Physical interaction plays an essential role in any relationship. It is best to show love and care for your partner. Body interaction makes your partner emotionally peaceful and calm. And it reminds them how much you do care for your partner.

Try to cook some home meals together or find other things to do with your partner. You can arrange a little gathering of your partner's close friends and relatives with whom they can share thoughts and ideas. You can encourage your partner to spend more time with their best buddies. Let them be hooked with a child or pet if it is possible.

Visit the doctor with your partner regularly and inform them about the next appointment a few days ahead. Try to give medication if prescribed by your hand with some words of love and care. Remember when to give the medicine and the next doctor's appointment. These things are the key to support for your partner with depression.

Encourage the Treatment

After knowing the symptoms of depression, you must encourage your partner to get professional help. Sometimes, signs are not visible initially. But changes in lifestyle, such as disturbed sleep, changes in appetite, and anger outbreaks, are red flags. Convenience your partner to realize that depression is a health problem and must be treated. It is not just their feelings and thoughts in their head. If it is left untreated, it will be dangerous for them.

People with depression have both good and bad days with their moods. On a good day, they feel better and think they are out of depression. But in an episode of depression, they are still there at the initial point. They show no recovery or progress to get out of the depression phase.

Depression is a trap with no escape; you must help your partner with proper treatment. Seek the treatment method that suits best for your partner. Treatments for depression are therapy, medicine, and exercise. Talk to your doctor and know which is the best for your partner. Sometimes, it is very late to realize that your partner needs help. It ends in worse conditions when damage is already done.

9 Things to Do to Provide Support to Your Partner for Recovery

People with depression recover more rapidly with their partner's support. Your physical and emotional support increases the effect of treatment. Whether it is therapy, medication, or exercise, you see the progress. Here are nine things you can do to support your partner with depression.

Help your partner with appointments and medicine. Remind your partner of the next visit date and the time of their medicine. Sometimes, it is challenging to take your partner for an appointment. Make him/her comfortable to visit the doctor unhesitantly.
Spend some time to cook a tasty, healthy meal for your partner. Eat it with your partner and help them eat healthy food.
Do exercise with your partner daily. Make them take a few more steps or do more. It helps them be fit and boosts your partner's mind to cope with depression.
Produce a stressless environment around the house. Prepare day-to-day routine of the house chores, exercise, and medications. People with depression feel better and more confident when they control everything.
Set small achievable goals for your partner. Sometimes, people with depression are unable to do daily routine work. Make them write about their daily goal and achievements.
Make them more social and arrange some small gatherings for them. Select people carefully invite those with whom they socialize easily.
Plan fun things with your partner, like painting, dancing, watching a movie, and playing card games.
Remind your partner of their progress and success in the recovery phase. Encourage them more and assure them they can do more.
Avoid forcing the treatment or pushing them to see a doctor. It makes things worse and out of control.

Accept That There Will Be Bad Days

Depression comes in periods or episodes with behavioral changes. Try to accept those bad days when your partner had a particular episode of depression. Manage the things around the home more often than you do in routine. Plan some things to do in that period for both of you. Either you will have fun with the gathering or alone.

It can keep your partner's mind distracted from depressing thoughts. Also, you both have some quality time in Spear rather than a clash between you. Make your partner's mood good by cracking jokes or light humor comedy. Keep your love and support to your partner; don't withdraw as your partner has bad days.

Try to comfort them with the embrace of love and affection. Hold their hand and give them strength to fight depression. Give them hope and assure them this period will not last long. The good days will come, and you can easily pass this worst part together.

Look After Yourself

Caring for a person with depression is frustrating, tiring, and frightening. You must be very patient, humble, and active. A depressed person is seeking love and care from you with unlimited expectations. You must be very healthy and mentally strong to tackle your partner in and out of the episodes of depression.

Self-care is not a selfish act in this case. It is seen that a person who is taking care of a person with depression is more vulnerable to developing depressive symptoms. The risk is high when a husband takes care of his wife having depression.Depression badly affects both partners emotionally and mentally.

Keep yourself and your partner away from conflicts and darker discussions. You do try these things, and you can save yourself from being affected by the symptoms of depression.

Eat healthy food.
Get complete and enough sleep.
Try to stay positive, and don't lose hope.
Be realistic about the treatment progress, as recovering from depression is slow.
Do regular exercise that keeps your body and mind fit.
Pray regularly or meditate to get inner peace, which helps to cope with depressive thoughts.
Participate in enjoyable activities or take out time for hobbies.
Go out and meet with your friends and family frequently.
Ask for help from your friends and family members.
Join a support group for families with depression.

Warning Signs of Suicide

The risk of suicide is high when the symptoms of depression become severe. The life-threatening condition occurs if therapy and treatment can not reduce the symptoms. The study shows that 80% of suicidal persons have depression. If you see any red flags or unusual behavior, keep your eyes on your partner.

You must be aware of those signs that may lead to attempting suicide. Get close to your partner if you feel the signs below. Keep the harmful things from your partner's reach and keep them safe. Do not leave them unattended if symptoms worsen, and seek professional help.

Here are some warning signs that can guide you to protect your partner and save their lives.

Your partner is talking too much about death or suicide with your doctor.
Your partner had a suicide plan written in their belongings or discussed with a friend.
They are preoccupied with suicidal thoughts.
Prepare to attempt suicide by collecting means like buying a gun or pills.
Prepare their will and things when they have gone from the world.
Distribute their belonging to their favorite or loved one person.
They are saying goodbye to friends and family on calls or by messages.
The visible changes noticed in daily routine behavior.
Extreme mood swings that are high one day and discouraging the next day.
They stay in solitary and socially withdraw themselves.