A year ago, when one of my loved ones passed away, I noticed the shift in personality of his wife. She was known to be a woman who cracked jokes and was always laughing in all family gatherings we held. With her husband’s passing, however, she fell into depression and was no longer joining us in events, but rather preferred to sleep. I began to worry for her because I knew she felt lonely and accepting change can be challenging. Therefore, I began to research and seek methods where I can speak to her and advise her to step out of this hole and realize how beautiful life can still be, even now as a widow. I want to note that many times we see the symptoms in people and try to minimize them by cracking a joke about it or teasing the individual, however, we do not take the symptoms seriously. In my case, no one else in my family noticed the drastic change in my grandma except me. Perhaps, you know of someone that appears to display depressive symptoms, I encourage you to seek help and apply some of the ways I will mention below on how to help someone with depression. Nevertheless, we tend to question ourselves and ask, “What do I do now?”
Tips when Caring for someone with Depression:
For someone with Depression, it is common for them to be on some treatment, therefore, make sure you are reminding them to consume their prescribed medication in addition to keeping their appointments. Many times, when someone is battling depression, it becomes difficult to find the motivation to take care of our bodies which includes taking medication and catching some fresh air. Also, our willingness to listen without teasing or judging the individual is very important as they are expressing their emotions despite how challenging and painful this can be. When I asked my grandma how she was feeling, I allowed her to express herself and she began to cry. While seeing someone cry can be uncomfortable as we might not know how to react or what to do, simply letting the individual cry is all they need. Sometimes I find it helpful to pretend I am the one crying and how I wish someone reacted towards me if they saw me crying as a way of feeling empathy. Another great tip to keep in mind is offering positive reinforcement of the things they are doing well. Reminding them of the role they play in your life and all their positive attributes often sparks a smile on their face and brings comfort into their lives.
After all, I know it can be difficult to experience living with or seeing someone battling depression, but I would say, healing is possible. I, myself, have battled depression after a breakup I faced, but I decided to move forward with my life. I had someone to encourage me and who was always willing to listen to me without judging my emotions or actions. Therefore, if this helped me, I know it can help your loved one if you are the one caring for them. Do not be discouraged if you do not see results right away as things do not often change from one day to the other. However, we do know the people we were yesterday and the mentality we carried yesterday is not the same one we carry today. Trust the process and trust yourself.
Written by : Rachel Garcia; Masters Level Intern at Olive Branch
If you need support, live in the Chicago area, and would like to speak to a professional counselor, please contact Olive Branch Counseling Associates, Inc. at 708-633-8000. We are located at 6819 West 167th Street in Tinley Park, Illinois 60477.
Reference:
CounselingMatters.live 
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