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loving someone with depression

What Can I Do?: Loving Someone With Depression

In the midst of a global pandemic, the need for compassion and understanding towards one another is at an ultimate high.

People that have never given a second thought towards maintaining their own mental health are now experiencing unexplained feelings of anxiety and depression for the first time.

While this is unfortunate, the good news is that there is help available!

Here at Spectrum, we believe that the best help comes from real people that understand what it is like to be in your position. In fact, the reason that much of our staff decided to join our team is because they had to learn how to support a loved one through a mental or behavioral health obstacle, and want to be a help to you, too. If you’d like to hear more about our team, we join on a monthly podcast with Room 9- check it out here!

But in the meantime, if you’re loving someone experiencing depression- we have a few tips you!

Read about it.

It’s good to learn all that you can about a serious topic! Whether you read a book or listen to a few podcasts- having some extra information and outside language to put towards what your loved one is experiencing will not only be helpful, but show them that you care.

Encourage them to receive treatment.

It could be as small as just calling us to have a quick conversation about what they’re going through. But sometimes confronting things head-on with people that have experience in that area is the best course of action.

Remember that you’re not their fixer.

We get it! When you love someone you want what’s best for them. But when you choose to take on the responsibility of what they are feeling, it can have the opposite effect. Sometimes the only thing that your loved one needs is an ear or a shoulder!

Focus on the good.

Make it a BIG deal. No, we mean it- blow the good out of proportion. It’s scientifically proven that whatever feelings you choose to focus on, grows. Sometimes the best way to battle a feeling of depression is with feelings of joy! Even if it seems small and insignificant, do your best to magnify it.

Take care of you.

We’ve said it before, you can’t give out of what you do not have. If you’re not taking the time to take care of yourself, you’ll end up feeling burnt-out, and may even take it out on your loved one.

At the end of the day, the best thing we can do for anyone is to practice love and compassion!

If you or a loved one could benefit from speaking with a member of our team, we would love to help.

Click this link to get in touch with us today!

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