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How You Can Help
Depression is a disorder that affects the entire family. Depressed people may evoke feeling of frustration, guilt, and even anger in family members, who may resent or have trouble understanding the problems of the depressed person. Studies show that depressed people are more likely to experience rejection or negative judgements from others than non-depressed people, and negative reactions of other family members can further aggravate feelings of hopelessness and low self-esteen in the depressed person.
What can the family do to help? Clearly, understanding is the key. the more a family knows about depression, the better prepared everybody will be to offer support at a time when the depressed person needs it most. Learning about effective treatments for depression will help encourage the depressed person to stick with the prescribed plan, too.
Some families benefit from participation in family therapy of counseling in order to gain a better understanding of the complex issues surronding depression. Counseling can help the entire family learn more effective communication strategies and better ways of coping with depresion at home.
Joining a support group for people with depression and their families is another option. You might be amazed to discover how helpful and reassuring it can be to talk to others who understand exactly what you and your family are going through! Below are some suggestions for constructive coping that your family can use right away.
- Try to maintain as normal relationship as possible
- Acknowledge that the person is suffering
- Don't expect the person to just "snap out of it"
- Encourage efforts to get treatment and get better
- Expresses affection, offer kind words, and pay compliments
- Show that you respect and value the person
- Help keep the person an active, busy member of the family
- Don't criticize, pick on, or blame the person for his/her depressed behaviour
- Don't say or do anything you think might worsen thr person's self-image
- Take any talk of suicide seriously, and notify the person's physician or health caretaker immediately
[ go back to depression.8m.com ] [ back to Black Days, Blue Nights: a depression site ]
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