How to Help Someone Suffering From Depression
It’s not easy to see a loved one going through a tough time and in some cases, we want to help so badly but we’re afraid that we’ll just make the situation worse. A depressed loved might say that they don’t want help but the often, this is not the case. The only reason they’re saying this is because they don’t know where or how to get assistance and this is where you fit into the picture.
In this article, we’re going to tell you how to help someone suffering from depression. The first thing to do is to determine if your loved one actually has depression, as it can commonly be confused with other medical conditions. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR), here are their criteria of a major depressive disorder:
“Depressed mood and/or loss of interest or pleasure in life activities for at least 2 weeks and at least five of the following symptoms that cause clinically significant impairment in social, work or other important areas of functioning almost every day
1. Depressed mood most of the day.
2. Diminished interest or pleasure in all or most activities.
3. Significant unintentional weight loss or gain.
4. Insomnia or sleeping too much.
5. Agitation or psychomotor retardation noticed by others.
6. Fatigue or loss of energy.
7. Feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt.
8. Diminished ability to think or concentrate or indecisiveness.
9. Recurrent thoughts of death”
If you can relate any 5 of the above symptoms to your loved one, then it’s a clear sign that there is a problem that needs attention. Now that you have an idea to whether your loved one does have a depression problem, the next step is to try to get treatment. Tell them how much you love and care about them and that they deserve to be happy once again. Mention that with the right treatment, things will get better. If your loved one’s depression is more severe, go with them to treatment until they are able to cope by themselves. If the person is too sick to attend depression treatment, then be the middle-man and give the mental health professional they’re seeing the information they need.
However, if the individual is suicidal or delusional, then it’s important to seek medical help as well in accordance to the therapy they’re receiving. If the person simply refuses to get treatment for their depression, call in the help of other family members, close friends and even a mental health professional to host a type of intervention to help show them that by getting specialised assistance is the best and only way to make them feel better. Whatever you do, do not give up. It will be tough but the symptoms of their depression will be tougher if it’s allowed to continue and flourish. If you are looking for access to a depression treatment for your loved one, we can help you. We can provide you with access to the best depression clinics in South Africa, the United Kingdom and Thailand to suit your loved one’s every individual needs. Call us now and let one of our qualified counsellors find the best treatment available near you.