How To Help Your Loved One Overcome Depression

What is depression?

Depression is a common and serious medical disorder that adversely affects how someone feels, thinks, and acts. It causes feelings of sadness and a loss of interest in activities someone once enjoyed.

According to the TMS Center Long Beach, depression can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems, as well as make an individual have a decreased ability to function at work, school, or home. Because of this, you or a loved one needs immediate assistance to beat depression.

Helping a loved one overcome depression

One of the most manageable mental health conditions is depression. According to estimates from the TMS Center Long Beach, between 80 and 90 percent of individuals with depression respond to treatment, and TMS for depression can be used to treat those whose depression is resistant to more traditional approaches.

Here are some tips on how to support any family members of yours who are seeking treatment for depression or anxiety:

1. Speak up about your concerns to the loved one

Many people feel overwhelmed, frustrated, and helpless when someone they love has depression.

The expression of feelings of sadness, emptiness, or hopelessness as well as feelings of irritability, frustration, anger over small things, and suicidal thoughts, among others, as observed by the loved one can be very disturbing.

Help the loved one to start talking about what they are going through. When you do this, don’t be critical. Simply state the facts as you see them in a neutral way and give him or her adequate room to respond.

1. Help them to seek treatment

To get treatment for depression, one needs assistance. This is a result of the stigma and shame associated with the condition, which makes it more difficult for them to handle duties like finding the right mental health provider for them.

Suggest to them that you are there to help. That includes rethinking the words to use when talking about depression, because some people may not know how to use the term "depressed" to express how they feel. They might, instead, perceive their symptoms as being stressed out or not being themselves.

1. Support for day-to-day routines

You can offer to help the loved one with tasks that may feel overwhelming to them. You could also suggest taking walks and encourage them to do activities that give them personal satisfaction so as to distract them from issues that could be making them sink into depression.

1. Be alert to signs that treatment is working or not

You might offer to assist the loved one with any tasks that they may find to be overwhelming. To keep them from sinking deeper into depression, you might also advise them to be going for walks, as well as encourage them to engage in things that make them feel good about themselves.

On the other hand, if you notice the absence of these positive signs about the treatment, reach out to the professionals helping with the treatment. Make every attempt to persuade the loved one to see a professional if they show signs of intending to harm themselves or acting violently, and be sure to accompany them to the appointment. Additionally, look for a new type of therapy if what is being administered is not effective.

1. Recognize any signs of relapse and make appropriate plans

It's crucial to realize that depression is a chronic condition with symptoms that occasionally flare up. When you decide to support your loved one to be free from depression, know that you are in it for the long haul. Continue to keep an eye out for symptoms of recurrence and take the necessary action.

1. Seek TMS therapy if depression is resistant

TMS therapy for depression aids in overcoming depression that has not been cured with traditional therapies, just as TMS therapy for anxiety has been shown to treat anxiety that is resistant to conventional treatments.

Seek the services provided by TMS for anxiety and depression if you determine that your loved one's indicators of depression are not fading. This is because people with anxiety and depression who have tried and failed to benefit from medication have reported a success rate of 50% to 60% with TMS treatment. One-third of these patients go into full remission, meaning their symptoms go entirely.

1. Be patient

As you offer your loved one with depression assistance, remember to be patient. Always keep in mind that although depression typically gets better with treatment, getting better can take time and may require some trial and error.

Need help to support your loved one overcome depression?

Roots TMS can provide you with the tools and other types of support you need to help your loved one get over their depression. By dialing 562-268-5813, you can speak with one of their committed specialists about your problem.