How to help a family member with depression

Learn about the symptoms of depression. Download the symptom checklist. Know the signs and symptoms and be able to talk confidently about depression.

How do we help family and Friends of a person struggling with depression? How to deal with a depressed family member? How can you help a friend suffering from depression?

Ask Questions and Dig for the Root Cause. Creating a regular routine may help a person with depression feel more in control. Offer to make a schedule for meals, medication, physical activity and sleep, and help organize household chores. Locate helpful organizations. Remind her of her strengths.

Take your Dad out for a coffee and tell him that you know that he needs help, and that you will stand by him. Then get him to a counsellor. The best way to do this is not to have a bunch of people encircling him and yelling at him that he.

You will have to be the one to do most of the work.

If they are not under treatment for their depression, perhaps you can convince them they need to in order to have a much better quality of life. Go to a family therapist. As such, a growing number of people are now forced to confront the issue of how to help their depressed family member. To get better, your person needs professional help from a doctor or therapist. Help them build a support system.

You wouldn't try to cure a friend's diabetes on your own. You shouldn't try curing depression , either. Offer to help with the practical things. If you have depression , it's easy to feel overwhelmed. Depression is a medical illness.

Often, the simple act of talking face to face can be an enormous help to someone suffering from depression. An appointment with a family doctor is a good place to start to rule out any medical causes of depression. Also, your family member may be more willing to see a general practitioner than a psychologist or a psychiatrist.

Remember that your relative is low on motivation and energy, so you will probably need to make the appointment yourself. Training like the LivingWorks ASIST program can help increase your knowledge and skills. Gently encourage them to help themselves – for example, by staying physically active, eating a balanced diet and doing things they enjoy.

Get information about the services available to them, such as psychological therapy services or depression support groups in their area. Search the best information on DirectHit. Find Informative Articles and Related Content on DirectHit.

Use a symptom checklist. Rather, a supportive family member should stay by a sufferer’s side no matter what, and not take any jab, regardless of how tiring it may get, personally. An assortment of treatment options exist for depression, the key is making the effort to seek them out and then choosing the one that fits best. I want to take a slightly different road and look at how we can help a frien family member , or other loved one who is struggling with depression in terms of how we need to be with them. This might sound a little strange because many of us (myself included) are practical, hands-on types who like practical strategies.

Giving your loved one as much of your time and attention as possible can be really valuable for them. Working together with them, create a support system of family members and friends whose company they enjoy. Recognize and praise small accomplishments. Modify expectations during stressful periods. Measure progress on the basis of individual improvement, not against some absolute.

Helping older family members or kaumātua. It can be hard to start a conversation about depression or anxiety with an older family member, such as a parent, grandparent, kuia, koroua or kaumātua. But letting them know you’re concerned and giving them the opportunity to open up could make a real difference.

Connect with your family member. Listen to what they have to say. Understand their feelings. Express your concern for them.

I will ask one of our Resource Specialists to contact you privately to offer you assistance with your stepson. Seek help for your family member. The best things that friends and family can do is simply listen.