And if you are in a relationship with someone who is carrying some depression with them and you are both working together towards a resolution, you can surely help to lighten the load. Really listen to your partner, and particularly in this time; hearing and listening are not one in the same. Love them unconditionally, even if you have a hard time recognizing your partner right now.

What To Do Next When Dating Someone with Depression

If your girlfriend seems depressed, recognize it as a problem. Don’t brush it off as something she should just “get over.” If she’s already getting treatment, don’t think that the problem is solved—continue to offer support. Juliana Collins is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker providing services in the Philadelphia area. Juliana obtained her Bachelor of Social Work from Temple University and her Master of Social Work with a clinical concentration from the University of Pennsylvania.

You can start with something like, “I’ve noticed you’ve been acting strange lately and I’m a little concerned.” A suicidal HookupGenius person needs professional intervention as soon as possible. It’s important to get them to a therapist or counselor.

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In particular, she’s committed to helping decrease stigma around mental health issues. Yet your relationship can still involve unique challenges you might not face in other relationships. Watching your partner struggle with the weight of their distress isn’t easy, and it’s normal to want to help them find relief. I have been in a relationship with someone whose depression was made worse by her being in a relationship.

Many of these people are undiagnosed — and many who are diagnosed aren’t able to get the care they need for this common mental illness. If you are dating someone with depression, you might wish you could help them feel better — or you could feel confused and alone. Preparing yourself for the potential situations I outlined in this article will help you protect your mental health and be a rock for your partner. It’s worth reaching out to a mental health worker or licensed therapist to give you the extra guidance and support you need to thrive as individuals and in your relationship. It’s common for depressed people to start isolating themselves and pushing everyone away.

In fact, there are treatment models for depression that involve family or a marital partner. One of the symptoms of depression is fatigue or lack of energy. One of the most helpful antidepressants that has been proven by research is exercise. I realize that maybe you have heard of this recommendation before, but let me be a little more specific. The type and duration of exercise can vary, but the minimum that could have an effect is to do fast walking at least three times a week for 30 minutes each time. That is the amount of exercise someone needs in order to feel an anti-depressive effect.

Rather than jumping to offer advice about how your girlfriend can improve, or criticism about her feelings, let her know that you are ready to listen and offer support at any time. Not unless someone is diagnosed, most of the time, people don’t have a clue that they are suffering from bipolar disorder unless it has escalated into major shifts of emotions. For those who are in a relationship with someone who has just recently been diagnosed with this disorder – it’s important to take time and understand what being bipolar means. Only a depressed individual understands how hard it is to hide their feelings and thoughts from others to avoid being shamed.

Depressive episodes

Besides evaluating the biological factors that could be causing depression, we also take into account the social and lifestyle factors that are unique to each individual. If you’re dating a person who is struggling with depression, don’t wait until your relationship has been damaged permanently. Talk to us today and take the first step toward healing.

It is not an illness that can usually be seen with the naked eye. Unlike depression, sadness is a normal human emotion that every single person will experience, and in fact, is necessary for peak levels of functioning and growth. Generally speaking, sadness has links to a specific trigger. If your feelings of sadness and hopelessness are lasting over two weeks and not remedying themselves, this could be a sign of depression. This may mean that you have also lost a general interest in activities and normal day-to-day routines that once were enjoyable. To sum all of this information up, depression is super difficult to understand from the outside looking in, and even more so to live with.

Substance abuse can be a major indicator of depression. While not all people suffering from depression develop substance abuse problems, many do. It’s not uncommon for a person experiencing depression to start drinking heavily or using other recreational drugs. Depression often causes changes to someone’s sleep cycle. Someone with depression may struggle to sleep or sleep excessively. It can be hard to know about someone else’s sleep schedule, but listen for any details they share or any changes in behavior that indicate sleep issues.