Depression can affect any family, any person. One of the most common signs of depression is losing interest in activities/ pleasure. This mood disorder alters the way you feel, behave, and think, leading to persistent low mood, empty feelings, hopelessness, sleep issues, appetite changes, anxiety, and more troubles.
But with a compassionate approach and medical attention, one can fight depression and other mental health issues optimally. If your partner has been diagnosed with depression, your support is crucial. You can see the best psychiatrist in Siliguri for advanced mental care.
Though it may seem challenging to handle situations, your psychiatrist will ensure expert advice. Follow-up check-ups, a nutritious diet, recreational activities, etc., will help your partner overcome depression with time.
Here are five practical ways to support your partner who is experiencing depression.
Know About Depression
Start by understanding the basics of depression.These include what depression is and how it affects people. Depression is more than just feeling sad for two or three days.
Major depressive disorder is a complex mooddisorder that can affect every aspect of a person’s life with depression. Learn about its symptoms, possible causes, risk factors, triggers, and treatments.
This knowledge will help you better support your partner and avoid common misconceptions about depression. You can read books, articles, and reliable online resources to learn about depression.
Communicate with Compassion
Effective and open communication gives a supportive feeling. This will make your partner feel secure and relaxed. Your partner needs to feel heard and understood without a sense of judgment. So that your partner can also have honest communication with you.
So that he/she can tell you about their feelings, improvements, no improvement, etc. without hesitation. And, this supportive step will help your relationship in the long run.
Allow them to share their feelings; don’t let them suffer in silence. Make sure you listen to them actively when they do, which will provide them with mental and emotional comfort. See one of the top psychiatrists in Siliguri for depression.
Encourage Professional Help
While your medical support is invaluable, finding the right psychiatrist is vital. When you approach your partner to get medical care, be sure to be empathetic. Many times, patients are not ready to visit a psychiatrist and they think they can overcome major depressive disorder without treatment.
Professional help is necessary for managing all types of depression, such as clinical depression, manic depression, and persistent depressive disorder. Encourage your partner to seek medical attention so that he/she can heal fast.
Therapy or counseling, medications, and expert guidance on lifestyle will make their healing journey easier. Sometimes, people feel ashamed of being told a mental health patient (how their family, friends, or society will see them).
As a partner, you must gently remind them that seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness. You might talk to the best psychiatrist in Siliguri for depression care.
Create a Healthy Environment
A supportive home environment is one of the vital things to keep one feeling secure and calm. Home ambiance certainly impacts your partner's mental health.
Small changes in your current home environment will a big difference, like reducing clutter, comfortable bedding, getting houseplants/hanging indoor plants, and maintaining a routine. Be mindful of their triggers, such as certain books, drinks, dark rooms, and reduced sunlight in the room.
Take Care of Yourself
Supporting a partner with depression can be mentally demanding. Thus, prioritizing your health is vital as well. We cannot pour from an empty cup. When others need your support, you must support yourself simultaneously by looking after your physical, emotional, and mental health.
To protect your own mental health, seek support from friends, family, or support groups. Have nutritious meals, listen to healing/relaxing music, stay hydrated, practice yoga, and feel free to ask a mental health doctor or the psychiatrist treating your partner for lifestyle management to keep yourself mentally fit.
Depression recovery takes time based on the type, severity, support, response to treatment, personality traits, etc. Don’t lose hope because there are many people overcoming depression successfully globally with proper care.
Be your partner’s support and look after your own wellbeing. Visit the top psychiatrist doctor in Siliguri for all-inclusive mental health care.
