WHAT IS DEPRESSION?
The most obvious elements in diagnosing depression are the person's depressed mood, unhappiness, indecision, loss of joy of life, and no longer enjoying the things he or she used to enjoy. He may have crying spells without any reason, and his interest in himself and his environment decreases. These people generally prefer loneliness, and going out and mingling with people seems like cruelty to them. Sexual interest and desire has decreased. There are also differences from normal in appetite and sleep. They see themselves as worthless, incompetent and inadequate. He often comes to terms with his past and has regrets. There are negative judgments and evaluations.
Actually, depressive feelings are something that occurs in all of our lives. Being disappointed about a subject or a person, or experiencing distressing or sad events can make us feel depressed and demoralized, but this is not the same as depression. In order to diagnose depression, the person's complaints must last for at least two weeks and seriously affect their daily life, work and social life. We should not forget that depression is not a spoiled thing that a person does.
HOW CAN WE HELP A RELATIVE WHO IS DEPRESSED?
Even if it is to help a relative you think is depressed, never say, “Don't worry about it, it happens to all of us, you are in your head.” You should not use sentences like "you are making it bigger". These types of sentences make the depressed person feel that you do not take him/her seriously. “I may not understand exactly how you feel, but I care about you and want to help you” would be a much more sincere sentence. Encouraging him to see a psychiatrist and psychologist, making sure that he takes his medications and does not disrupt his therapies is also a great help you can do for him. Another mistake you should avoid is saying, "Look, when you're like this, we get upset too, you're upsetting us too, come on, get yourself together." These types of sentences make the already depressed person worse, their feelings of guilt and anxiety increase. We must not forget that recovery is not something that person has control over, depression is also a disease. You have to be patient, be with him You may need to repeat more than once that you can hear and listen. Therefore, it is very important that you are happy and healthy so that you can support him/her better. Going on vacation or moving away from where they live will not be good for the patient with depression because they will carry all the problems with them in their mind, so I advise you not to insist on such issues.
WAYS TO DEAL WITH DEPRESSION
A depressed person must receive psychotherapy and even use medication if this is a severe depression. In addition to these professional supports, we also have some suggestions to help you cope with depression more easily.
*The depressed person often does not want to leave the house, but he should force himself to be active. It will be difficult at first, but then it will make the person feel alive.
*Efforts should be made to minimize sleep and eating irregularities. For example, one should prepare a meal and sit at the table even if he/she has no appetite.
*The depressed person constantly has negative judgments and evaluations in his mind. The person should question these negative thoughts and examine whether there is really any evidence for this negative thought. He should ask himself what the different perspective might be. If he cannot find a different perspective, it may be helpful to think like this: "If my friend came to me with such an idea, what would I say to him, how would I approach him?" He must accept that he cannot.
*The depressed person should be patient. This is a disease that can be treated. He should frequently remind himself of the improvements he has made since the beginning of therapy.
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