What To Do And Say If Your Partner Is Depressed

Many times, when your partner is depressed and you are trying to help him, you can – with the best of your intentions – say or do things that don’t really help your loved one in any way.

In fact, they can even have the exact opposite effect. For this reason, in this article, we’ll give you some advice on what to do and say if your partner is depressed .

Depressed people experience deep sadness and apathy. The support of their loved ones is the key to recovery. However, it is important to know what to do and say and thus show your support correctly if your partner is depressed.

When your partner is depressed … but what is it anyway?

For starters, remember that it’s important not to blame the depressed person for their current condition.

Depression is an emotional disorder. It is characterized by a feeling of constant apathy and sadness that can cause you to lose interest in virtually everything. For this reason, it is very important to provide support, patience and understanding to your loved ones.

Depression can take anything from transient to chronic or from mild to severe. However, some of the most common symptoms of this disease include:

• Feeling sad or empty
• Wanting to cry for no reason
• Losing interest in most things that were once interesting to you
• Fatigue and lack of energy
• Lack of appetite or vice versa
• Anxiety and restlessness
• Irritability or sudden emotional outbursts

Since this is a serious disorder, it is best to seek professional advice as soon as possible to avoid any potential complications. In severe cases, a specialist can prescribe the appropriate medications to treat them.

In any case, if your partner is depressed, you may not know what to do, what to say or what to ask him or her. So today we will help you deal with this problem.

What can you say and what are you not allowed to say?

Understanding and patience should be attitudes you absolutely adopt if your partner is depressed.

Surely with the best of intentions and driven by an overwhelming desire to improve your partner’s well-being, you have thought about saying or even uttering words such as:

• “You just have to be strong”
• “You have to do something, get a grip”
• “Get out of the house more often and clear your mind”

• “Think about everything you have and have achieved. You have no reason to feel this way “

However, we strongly advise against telling these things to a depressed person. This kind of “advice” simplifies and trivializes a disease that is neither easy nor trivial. It is as if you are asking the person to make an effort that they are unable to make or trivialize something that is making that person suffer every day.

Depressed people are already torturing themselves, blaming themselves for everything they can’t. In addition, in many cases they don’t understand why they feel this way. Therefore, it is important to remind them of this.

So what you can tell your partner if they are depressed are positive words of encouragement, such as:

• What can I do for you?”
• “I am here for you”
• “You are not alone”
• “It’s not your fault”

• “It will pass. I will be with you”
• “I love you”

That way, your support will be unconditional, without involuntary reproach about the other person’s situation and without making them feel guilty.

What can I do if my partner is depressed?

Provide support and always be there for your partner. In the most severe cases, recommending therapy is the best option.

There are many things you can do to support your partner. Some common examples are given below:

Try to understand a sick person

You should understand that depression is not an emotional state that someone has chosen for themselves. He may not even understand why he is feeling this way. It’s not his fault.

Be patient in any situation

Depression is a disorder that can last a long time. For this reason, you should also not give up hope. Be patient and understanding. Keep offering support and love throughout the recovery process.

Do not force the sick person to do different things

As we said before, a depressed person already feels guilty for not being able to do many things. For this reason, trying to force the person, for example to leave the house or do something new, may actually be counterproductive.

Pay attention to potential suicidal tendencies

Although this is an extreme situation, some people with depression have thoughts of suicide. For this reason, you should pay attention to the following symptoms:

• Speaking directly about suicide (“I don’t want to live like this”, “It would be better if I died”, “I want to kill myself”)
• Attempts to learn about the methods of committing suicide
• Making a will, putting things in order for distribution, etc.
• Farewell to loved ones

However, there may be other signs that are often not obvious. Regardless of the situation, these types of thoughts mean that a person needs to see a specialist immediately.

Offer your support

As we mentioned earlier, your support should be unconditional, without forcing the sick person in any way. Don’t let your partner feel like he can’t overcome this disease or that he is worthless.

In many cases, you don’t even have to say anything, you just need to be someone there. Make the person feel like they are not alone with their illness.

On the other hand, it is also important to encourage treatment. You can recommend your partner to start therapy to cure the condition. However, it should be remembered that the decision to start therapy must depend on his own decision.