How to Handle a Depressed Partner

When your life is intertwined with someone else's, it is nice to say that what happens to them is their stuff, but in reality it is affecting everyone around them. To be defensive and try not to deal with the feelings surrounding the issues is really just a case of bottling your feelings and eventually no matter how much you don't want to deal with it, those bottled feelings will spill over into your life as well, and sometimes to the point where their depression and anxiety becomes contagious.

Often times depression is not looked at as a serious illness. It is used in sentences everyday and if someone states that they are depressed it is usually laughed at and the individual is told they just need to go out and have fun. Clinical depression is in fact a very serious matter. If your spouse has been clinically diagnosed with depression then you need to be sure to treat it as you would any other severe illness.

It is a natural instinct in people to try and cheer up someone if they are acting or feeling depressed. We want to take them out, make them laugh and hope that they will be back to their old self when it ends. This is not as simple as it may seem, a person who is clinically depressed can not just cheer up. If you believe that your spouse is depressed you should refer to the internet or a doctor for a list of signs. Once you have received this information, you should then proceed to speak with you spouse about it and encourage them to seek assistance from a medical professional. Although they may "blow you off" at first present them with the facts that you have collected and continue to convince them that medical help is needed.

The key is that they need help and if they don't get the care that they need, this may seriously affect your mental state as well. These days there are millions of Americans who are experiencing this disease, and they need to know that they are not alone.

Not all marriage problems come from depression of one or both partners, however you would be surprised as to how many truly do. Be sure to be aware of your spouse and yourself when it comes to depression because it may not only be affecting the individual but the environment in which you live. More deadly then mold a marriage can be snuffed out by depression alone.