My partner has depression: what do I do?

Depression is a mood disorder that significantly reduces the ability to enjoy activities and relationships that were previously pleasant, so life as a couple can be affected. The partner is usually the person who bears the greatest burden on a day-to-day basis, so it is essential to know what we face, know how we can help, and offer our support so that our partner can recover.

"My partner has depression: what do I do?"If you want to know what the symptoms of depression are and what you can do to help it, keep reading this Psychology-Online article.

Index

1. Profile of a depressed person
2. How to Help a Depressed Couple
3. My partner has depression: recommendations to help your partner
4. Breakup of a couple due to depression

Is essential know your symptoms to know that the behavior of our partner does not have to do with his sentimental and personal relationship but with the disease he suffers. Surely if the person you share your life with is going through a depressive episode, you will have noticed that she has become uncommunicative, irritable, negative, careless in her appearance, without sexual desire, etc.

Symptoms of depression

Here are the symptoms of a depressive state:

• Significant loss of interest or ability to enjoy activities that were normally pleasant.
• Absence of emotional reactions to events that usually provoke a response.
• Presence of motor slowdown.
• Marked loss of appetite.
• Weightloss.
• Notable decrease in sexual interest.
• Permanent tired feeling.
• Different sleeping habits.

If you suspect that someone in your environment may suffer from depression, we recommend that that person do the following Beck's depression test.

A depression has a direct impact on the partner of the person who suffers it, and consequently, also on the rest of the family. You may be wondering “What do I do? What is my role? What can I do to help her? "

Professional help and acceptance: first steps to help your partner

• It is very important that you encourage your partner to ask for professional help, depression is an illness and requires professional help and treatment. You must normalize the fact of having to seek outside help.
• On the other hand it is necessary accept the existence of the disease. No one is guilty of suffering from a disease. It is difficult to accept it, however, the principle of any therapeutic process is to assume that situation.

It is as important that you receive help and treatment, as that you inform yourself about the disease, to know how to act and thus know how to give the support and help that your partner needs. Here are some recommendations that may be useful to help you cope with your partner's depression:

• Show understanding and empathy. Don't question their thoughts or feelings. If the person with depression does not feel heard and understood, they will close more and this situation will increase the feeling of discomfort, apathy and discouragement. Needs to assertive and empathetic people that they do not judge her, that they show her understanding, that they simply know how to be by her side.
• Do not personalize, the explanation is in his disorder. It is normal for you to feel helpless and incomprehensible; your partner is distant, does not care about you, has no desire, etc. But it is important to keep in mind that if your partner suffers from depression, all these behaviors are manifestations of the disease.
• Don't overwhelm him, suggests without pressing. My partner has depression and does not want to see me, what can I do? A depression takes time, has ups and downs, and never responds to pressure.
• Don't overprotect her. Being overprotective will not help your partner. You need to feel useful, that you participate in daily activities even though it is very expensive for you.
• Value small advances. Valuing and reinforcing small advances no matter how small or any behavior that we consider adaptive will increase the probability that it will be maintained.
• Take care, you do not have depression. Keep enjoying your activities, relationships and hobbies and don't feel guilty. You have to support your partner and to do so you must take care of those spaces that make you happy. Do not forget about yourself, having a depressed person next to you is very wearisome. After all, if you don't take care of yourself, you won't be of much help.
• Be patient. You don't get out of a depression overnight. It takes a long process. Getting impatient only brings feelings of guilt and overwhelm. Patience is necessary to support your partner throughout the process. Trust your recovery.

In this article you will find more information about How to help a person with depression.

Is leaving your partner because of depression normal? Depression is a mood disorder that can very negatively affect the dynamics of a couple, to the point of causing constant arguments, discomfort, emotional insecurity...

While is true that a person with depression does not choose to be like this and it is not correct to hold her responsible for her emotional state, it is necessary to comment that depression can wreak havoc and rejection in the couple's relationship. Therefore, if you think that your partner has depression and you need help, it is essential that you follow the advice that we have been listing throughout this article.

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to My partner has depression: what do I do?, we recommend that you enter our category of Couple therapy.

• Jarne, A.; Talarn, A. (2012). Manual of Clinical Psychopathology. Herder: Barcelona