Couples who present a united front rather than turning their frustrations on one another are more likely to succeed long-term. Dr. Lisa Batten has a master’s degree in clinical psychology and a Ph.D. in developmental psychology. She has over a decade of experience in clinical research and specializes in writing about mental health, wellness, nutrition, and fitness. If your partner is getting worse and unwilling to participate in activities that contribute to their recovery, you may need to evaluate your relationship.
However, at the same time, you have to make sure that you don’t lose yourself in the effort to make them happy. One day you look at them, and it is like they are a shell of themselves. Just like weight gain signals depression, losing a lot of weight without trying is also a sign the person you’re dating is depressed. It seems daunting, but these are the only situations you should prepare for.
You can also let your partner know that you care in other ways. If you don’t feel like having sex, let the person know you still find him or her attractive by cuddling or being affectionate. With greater awareness about depression, the stigma of mental illness has diminished somewhat. Therapy and/or medication use is common and often very successful. Many times, we hurt the ones we love, and dating someone with depression is no different. There may be times when you feel like your partner is walking all over you or taking all of their depressed frustrations out on you unfairly.
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Loving Someone with Depression: 5 Things You Should Know
You can talk to a trusted friend, support group, or find a professional counselor to help you through your own emotions. Reaching out can help you practice your communication and build your coping skills. It’s normal to feel frustrated when the emotional burden of depression looms over your relationship. One of the most powerful and helpful tools you can offer your partner is being patient.
They stop talking to friends
Do your best to encourage them, support them, and offer to accompany them to any appointments. If none of these tactics work, have a direct conversation with your partner about your concerns. In some instances, you may need to reassess whether the relationship is working for both of you. Rather than isolating yourself socially, continue to maintain a social life.
It can be frustrating, then, when their efforts to get better don’t pay off right away. It’s easy to assume that once someone starts taking medication or going to therapy that everything gets better from there. However, the road to recovery isn’t always a straight line. “Knowing the tools to grab onto when your depressive symptoms kick in is essential for keeping you and your intimate relationship healthy,” Egel says.
Talk it out if you feel like they’re losing interest
You need to know that being in depression is not a choice that they’ve made, they can’t just be happy because you’re telling them to be. If you force them to be happy, their depression might just worsen. If they are opening up to you, just be there for them and mindfully listen to them. Proper communication can really help you understand the struggles of your partner and also help in strengthening your relationship. If you are dating someone with depression, there can be quite a few roadblocks in your relationship.
Ways to Support Your Partner if They Have Depression
Tell them you are proud of them for going to treatment and respect their limits when it comes to talking about what they are doing in therapy. Some people will be very open about what they are learning and discovering, while others prefer to keep it private. A person with a drinking or drug abuse problem often masks symptoms of depression.
Reassure each other that you want to know how the other is feeling. The only way to overcome this is to communicate out loud about everything. Guesswork never cuts it in a relationship, but especially not when depression is involved. “You want your relationship to be your relationship,” Brateman says.
Tammy Worth is a freelance healthcare reporter with over 20 years of experience. Her work appears across several publications including The Economist, http://datingrated.com/ Bloomberg, Health, Leader’s Edge, WebMD, and KCPT, Kansas City’s public television station. Dating can be a challenge when you suffer from depression.
Contact us to learn more about our renowned Los Angeles programs and how we can help you or your loved one start on the path to lasting wellness. No, but you will never have to worry about being on the wrong path. When you support your partner, you can be confident in your choices because you’ll be using tools you learned from professionals. If you’re stressed, you will have access to therapists who can help you manage better.