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ricken -> RE: help with depression (5/5/2011 8:56:47 AM)
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If she is already on meds and therapy, ask if you can go with her to a session and talk with the therapist about specific things you can do to help, that IMO is the best thing you can do to help let her know she is loved, wanted & needed. And don't be upset offended if she says no, people tell shrinks alot of things they won't tell anyone else, it's a safe place for them.
I gotta agree with a lot of what Termy says here, but I will disagree on the meds part.
Drugs can be a usefull tool to lift someone up out of their depression enough that they can think a little more clearly and LEARN better ways to cope with depression. And as far as long term or lifetime needs of meds, people are born with fucked up brain chemistry, not everyone depressed is, but some are, and IF that is the issue then I think long term use of meds is needed. You wouldn't tell a diabetic they don't need insulin shots do you, just because a long time ago insulin wasn't available?
Chiaroscuro, you need to read about depression, it's a hard illness to understand if you don't really suffer from (long term forms of) it. EVERYONE is different, for me I need time alone, but not too much, there is a fine line for me between "my alone time" and withdrawing. When she is in a good mood, ask what she needs from you when she is depressed. Hopefully she knows and will answer truthfully. And let me add something here, when/if you ask something and she lashes out with "My life sucks, I hate everything and have nothing good in it" YOU have to be thick skined enough to understand that even if she knows better, this is how she is feeling at that moment, so if you are not secure enough to hear that you have to be REAL carefull what you ask/say to help.
This is why sometimes it's better to let the shrinks handle this stuff untill the depressed person is rational enough to communicate better.
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