3 Tips For Supporting Someone Going Through A Depressive Time

Anyone can experience depression in their life. While some people might be more prone to having depressive periods, people going through a particularly difficult time in life can also have longer stretches of time when they might feel sad and hopeless. So if you have someone in your life going through something like this right now, be it due to a personal loss, relocating to an assisted living facility, or something else entirely, here are three tips for supporting that person through a depressive time.

Encourage Them To Get Professional Help

As soon as you realize that your loved one might be going through a depression, one of the best things you can do for them is to encourage them to get some professional help. Speaking with a doctor or working with a therapist who specializes in helping people in depression can be immensely beneficial.

Because some people are nervous about seeking out mental health help, showing your loved one that you’re supportive of this type of treatment may be just what they need to get the help that they need. You can further assist them by helping them figure out who to see, how to get financial help through their insurance, taking them to their appointments, and more.

Listen More Than You Speak

Whether your loved one is seeking out professional medical help or not, being someone that they can talk to and depend on during a depressive period can be invaluable to them.

While you might be tempted to try to give them advice or suggestions of how to make it through this time, what is often more helpful is just being a listening ear for them. For many people, being able to talk about what’s going on and how they’re feeling with someone they trust can be very therapeutic. This can be a great way to help relieve some of their suffering and help them find more hope and support in their life.

Find Ways To Ease Their Burdens

When someone is experiencing depression, doing even the most basic of tasks can be daunting and draining. Knowing this, helping them with household or daily tasks can take a lot of stress off of them.

If you’re both comfortable with this, consider doing things like helping them with laundry, doing their dishes, or even doing basic grocery shopping for them. If they have kids or pets, try being a helping hand for those dependent to make sure they’re getting the care and attention they need as well.

Going through a depressive time can be a period of intense fog and unease. But with someone like you supporting your loved one during this experience, you can know that they’re being taken care of and will hopefully be able to get the help they need to come through the other side.