Depression: how to help the sufferer decide if treatment is needed?

Has your friend or loved one changed? You thought it was a temporary blues, but it hasn't gone away for weeks? And is your loved one's condition getting worse? Perhaps your loved one has experienced grief? Or perhaps it's depression?

If you think someone close to you is depressed, encourage them to see a doctor.

This article will help you with this.

Key points

• Depression is a disease. It is not just laziness and it will not go away on its own.
• Depression is a common illness and nothing to be ashamed of.
• The greatest thing you can do for a loved one is to help them seek help.
• Don't ignore talk of suicide. Talk to a doctor if necessary.
• The treatment really gives a good result. There are many treatment options and different specialists ready to help a sick person.
• Depression can be caused by a serious physical illness. Treating the underlying illness can cure depression.

What is depression?

Depression is a disease. It is caused by changes in the chemical levels of the brain. Depression is not a personality trait and does not mean that a person is weak or bad. It does not mean that a person is going crazy.

Depression causes the sufferer to feel constantly down and helpless. It is different from the usual feeling of being in a bad mood, sad, and inactive. The sufferer loses interest in daily activities, spends most of the time feeling sad and grouchy. Other symptoms of depression include weight loss or gain, and constant fatigue. The sufferer loses interest in daily activities, spends most of the time feeling sad and grouchy.

Depression is a common disease. It affects people of different ages, nationalities and social status. Most often, it is hereditary. However, depression can also occur in people without a hereditary predisposition. Depression can occur once in a lifetime or be recurring.

Medication, psychotherapy sessions, and constant self-care can help cure depression. Many people do not seek help because they are ashamed and believe that they can cure themselves. However, to completely cure this disease, treatment under the guidance of a doctor is necessary.

Many people do not seek help because they are ashamed and believe that they can cure themselves. However, to completely cure this disease, treatment under the guidance of a doctor is necessary.

The method of treating depression depends on its severity and includes medication, psychotherapy sessions, constant self-care, and a combination of all these methods. Sometimes, before the patient finds an effective method of treatment, he has to try different methods and means. Most people feel relief already in the first to third week of treatment, but to see the result of treatment, you need to wait 6-8 weeks.

Depression is a common disease. It affects people of different ages, nationalities and social status. Most often, it is hereditary. However, depression can also occur in people without a hereditary predisposition. Depression can occur once in a lifetime or be recurring.

Why is it necessary to see a doctor at the first symptoms of depression?

Most people believe that depression is not a disease and can be dealt with independently. However, depression is a serious disease and it is impossible to deal with it independently. If someone close to you suffers from symptoms of depression, then you need to see a doctor for the following reasons:

• Only a doctor can diagnose depression or another illness. A correct diagnosis is the first step in treating depression.
• In most cases, people are unable to cure depression on their own. Without proper treatment, depression will progress.
• During the first weeks of treatment, the patients' condition improves.
• If a person has had a bout of depression in the past, it is more likely to recur. Without treatment, a relapse of depression is more likely, and in a more severe form.

If you suspect that a loved one has depression, the best thing you can do for them is to convince them to see a doctor. The sooner the patient begins treatment, the faster their condition will improve.

How can you help?

If you are worried about someone close to you, you will want to talk to them about it. We will tell you how best to do this:

Tell this person about depression and why you are worried.

• Point out that depression is not laziness or problems with the head. Explain that it is a disease and there is no need to be ashamed of it.
• Talk to this person about the symptoms of depression, pointing out their symptoms. Tell them why it bothers you and that you want to help.
• Ask him to answer the interactive test questions to confirm your suspicions.

Explain to this person why it is important to seek help from a doctor.

• Explain that very few people manage to overcome depression on their own. Most need some form of treatment. The sooner treatment is started, the sooner symptoms will be relieved.
• Note that there are many professionals who treat depression and many treatment methods. Even if he has depression, it is not necessary to go to a psychotherapist and take medications. Even a family doctor can prescribe treatment.
• Please note that depression can be caused by another more serious illness. For example, if you have a thyroid disorder, you may experience symptoms of depression. Only a doctor can diagnose such an illness and prescribe treatment, which in turn will alleviate the symptoms of depression. Also, only a doctor can determine whether your symptoms of depression are caused by certain medications that you are taking.

Watch for signs of suicidal behavior

• Watch for signs of suicidal behavior, such as talking about death, giving away personal belongings, and writing a will. If you notice this behavior, seek medical attention.
• Call emergency services immediately if:
  • a person is going to harm him/herself or others. For example, the patient has a murder weapon, a murder plan, or he/she is collecting pills.
  • the person has auditory or visual hallucinations.
  • The man developed a strange manner of speaking, something that had never been noticed about him before.

Help him overcome his fear of treatment

Many people, for their own reasons, do not want to see a doctor. Talk to this person about his fears and help him overcome them.

Fear	Solution
"Go to a psychiatrist? I'm not crazy." "People will think I'm weak." "What will my relatives and friends think of me?"	It is not necessary to seek help from a psychiatrist or psychologist. Your family doctor can also help you. If you seek help, it will give you a sense of relief. It takes a strong person to ask for help. Psychological disorders are real illnesses and can affect your overall health. They are often related to changes in brain chemicals or genetics rather than personality traits. With the right treatment, your condition will improve. Treatment may involve medication, psychotherapy, self-care, or a combination of these. The type of treatment you choose depends on the severity of your condition.
"This will hurt my career."	You think that if your coworkers find out about your depression, it will hurt your career. However, depression can prevent you from performing your duties well. Treatment will prevent this from happening.
"I've tried therapy in the past and I didn't like it."	Learn more about this treatment and find a doctor you can trust. If you don't like your doctor, try another one.
"Aren't depression medications addictive?" "These drugs either make you crazy or take away your desire for sex."	Antidepressant medications are not addictive. Depression medications do have side effects, and one of them is sexual dysfunction. If you are concerned about the side effects, your doctor will select a medication with fewer side effects or change the dose.
"Anyone can see my medical records and read about my illness."	Doctors, clinics, private consultants and hospitals are especially careful about the confidentiality of your information. They will never let anyone who is not involved in your treatment read your medical records. If you are still worried about this, ask your doctor how he or she stores medical records.
"It's very difficult to find time to visit a doctor." "I can't get to the doctor."	Review your schedule and find the most convenient time to visit your doctor. Ask him to schedule an appointment at a time that works for you. When you make an appointment, tell your doctor about your situation. Most doctors will schedule an appointment that works for both of you. Ask a friend to drive you to the doctor or find out which buses go to this place.
"I tried to tell people about my problem, but they don't understand me. They are not interested."	Depression is very difficult for some people to understand. However, people who have experienced it will understand. Consider attending support groups.
"The treatment is very expensive. I can't afford it."	Almost every city has services where you can find help. Contact your local social services. If you have health insurance, check your policy. Sometimes, mental health treatment costs are covered. Ask your doctor for help. They may be able to point you to free support groups or prescribe inexpensive medication. Check with medical schools to see if they have training programs. These can be much cheaper to attend.

Depression: How to support a sick person?

If you learn that someone close to you has been diagnosed with depression, you may feel helpless. You may see a once-energetic person become inactive, or your friend lose interest in once-favoured activities. Your friend or loved one may change so much that you feel like you don’t know him or her at all.

Of course, you will want to help in some way. This article will help you with that.

Key points

• Depression is a disease. It is not laziness and it will not go away on its own.
• The most you can do to help a sick person is to convince him not to stop treatment.
• Offer your support. You can do this by understanding depression, being patient, and offering help.
• Never ignore talk of suicide. Talk to your doctor about it.
• Reassure the patient that with the right treatment, he or she will soon feel much better. The treatment method depends on the severity of the disease and includes taking antidepressants, attending psychotherapy sessions, self-care, or a combination of all of these methods.

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Why is it so important to show your support to a sick person?

If you have never suffered from depression, it is difficult to imagine how hopeless and depressed it can feel. Depression can make your life as miserable as any other serious physical illness. It can prevent you from fully caring for your family, work, and social responsibilities.

It is very important to show your support to the patient because:

• Your help will influence the effectiveness of the treatment and will keep the patient from refusing it. And this is the best thing you could do to help him.
• It will help the patient to increase self-esteem and self-confidence. This will help the patient to better cope with responsibilities at work, at home, at school and in everyday life.
• Show the patient that he/she has friends. Friendship will help him/her understand that he/she is not alone.

How exactly can you help a person suffering from depression?

Here are some tips on how you might help someone who is sick:

Engage in self-study

The more you know about depression, the better you can understand what someone with it is going through.

• Find out the truth and untruth about depression.
• Look for signs of suicidal behavior, such as talking about death frequently, giving away personal belongings, or writing a will. If you notice this behavior, contact the person's doctor.
• Be sure to call emergency services if:
  • a person is going to harm him/herself or other people. For example, this person has a murder weapon (a gun), a murder plan, or he/she is collecting pills.
  • the person suffers from visual or auditory hallucinations.
  • the person speaks and behaves in a strange manner that is not typical for him.

Help him with his treatment

If you have the opportunity, then:

• Help the patient make an appointment with the doctor and go with him to the first appointment.
• Help the patient take his medications.
• Research the side effects of the drug and contact your doctor if necessary.
• Remind the patient that antidepressants are the most effective treatment and that the dose can always be reduced or the drug changed to avoid side effects.

Helping a sick person at home

If a person is depressed, he feels alone in this world. And with such thoughts, your support can help.

• Listen to the patient when he needs to talk. If you want to help this person, talk about his problems, this will help him feel better and continue treatment.
• Don't give advice. However, subtly reassure him that not everything is so bad and there is hope. Convince this person to continue treatment. Don't tell this person that he is lazy or that he must be strong to be cured.
• Try to keep your relationship the way it was before the illness. But don't pretend that depression doesn't exist.
• Ask this person to accompany you on a walk or to the cinema, support their desire to continue doing their favorite activities. If the person says no, so be it. Ask them to do it again after a while. But do not put pressure on them, this may worsen their condition.
• Ask how you can help with everyday life. You can help with housework or mowing the lawn, you can pick up the kids from school or accompany him on a business trip.
• Don't be offended. If your husband or wife or someone very close to you is sick, you may feel offended because your loved one does not pay attention to you, has become aggressive. Remember, your loved one still loves you, but cannot show it.

Take care of yourself

Being around someone who is depressed can be a difficult task for you. These tips will help you:

• First of all, remember about yourself. Don't deny yourself your favorite activities, such as visiting relatives or going to the cinema.
• Don't be too protective. The most common mistake loved ones make is to be too protective of the patient. People like to take care of themselves, even if they don't admit it. You need a break, too.
• Don't try to do everything on your own. Ask someone to help you or join a support group. The more support you feel, the more you can help the patient.