“There is no point treating a depressed person as though she were just feeling sad, saying, ‘There now, hang on, you’ll get over it.’ Sadness is more or less like a head cold- with patience, it passes. Depression is like cancer.”
— BARBARA KINGSOLVER, THE BEAN TREES
Depression is a silent killer and slowly creeps in on you. We often don’t know how to support a family member suffering from Depression. But that very support could mean the World to them. Inspite of several advancements in the fields of psychotherapy1, there is still a certain level of stigma attached to seeking the doctor’s help. You need to understand that there is nothing wrong in asking for help. Be it a family member or a trained professional, you don’t seem weak or naive when you are out there seeking help for yourself.
A couple of day ago, I happened to watch a YouTube video of a young girl, pouring her heart out on Social Media as to how she was unable to get out of her bed and spent around 15 hours sleeping. She didn’t really feel like doing any household chores and how her sleep pattern and lifestyle schedule was disrupted. It really pained me, because that didn’t really seem to be the case otherwise. Because her channel had some amazing motivational videos and how she has always given a tough competition to her bullies.
DEPRESSION IS CURABLE
Depression2, no matter how severe, can be treated. The consequences of not treating depression on the on set can be devastating. Hence, the earlier you think of treating of treating it, the more efficient it becomes.
However, getting completely rid of depression is not something that happens over a day. It can take years. All you need to do is persevere.
HOW TO DEAL WITH DEPRESSION?
So if you, or for that matter if one of your family members suffers from depression, how do you deal with it? There are different ways to deal with it. These include:
- Taking antidepressant medications,
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Gaining awareness and using coping strategies.
You are not pushed to apply any of the methods of treatment. It is up to you whether you accept it or not. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy3 is one of the excellent treatments for Depression. With the help of this treatment, you would be able to combat the emotions of hopelessness, sadness and loss of energy. It also helps you to control negativity, that lead to feelings of nothingness, loss of interest and worthlessness. Along with CBT, you could also take certain anti-depressants. But as I mentioned earlier, it all depends upon how you want your treatment to be.
TAKEAWAY
There is a need to address depression right away. There might be people out there suffering from depression but are unable to identify it due to lack of awareness. The most vital information about depression is that it is treatable and that there is nothing to be ashamed of. It is necessary that we treat everybody with kindness, respect and understanding. Let them know that they are not alone. Be that person, be that support!
- Lambert, Michael J., Allen E. Bergin, and S. L. Garfield. “The effectiveness of psychotherapy.” Encyclopedia of psychotherapy 1 (1994): 709-714. ↩︎
- Altar, C. Anthony. “Neurotrophins and depression.” Trends in pharmacological sciences 20.2 (1999): 59-62. ↩︎
- Wenzel, Amy. “Basic strategies of cognitive behavioral therapy.” Psychiatric Clinics 40.4 (2017): 597-609. ↩︎
Last Updated on by Sathi