How to Talk to Loved Ones About Your Depression - Building a Support System with Heidi Kling Ph.D.

 

Depression can increase feelings of isolation and loneliness. By sharing your depression with family and friends, you can help counter these negative emotions and find relief from depression.

Share your concerns calmly and non-judgmentally; this shows them you care and want to assist. Dr. Heidi Kling

Please encourage them to join you at their first therapy appointment for support.

1. Listen

People living with depression often feel misunderstood. Their symptoms may be easily hidden by well-meaning loved ones who fail to appreciate how profoundly it impacts their life and quality of life. By explaining how depression causes a downward spiral of negative thoughts and emotions, you may help your loved one gain perspective and empathy for themselves.

Explain to your loved one that depression can impede their ability to think, interact socially, and find joy in activities they once enjoyed. Suggest they lead a healthier lifestyle that includes getting enough rest, eating nutritious meals, and forgoing alcohol and drugs as an antidote.

Heidi Kling psychologist, points out that keep in mind that not everyone may want to discuss depression right away. Don't push them; remain available as and when needed for them. Perhaps suggest they seek professional help such as therapy sessions to understand and recover from depression.

2. Offer Support

People struggling with depression need reassurance that they're not alone, so providing support is one of the most vital ways you can help their friend or loved one feel less isolated and overwhelmed.

Heidi Kling PhD, suggests listening carefully without judgment or criticism when your loved one is ready to open up. Restate what you heard back to them while asking any necessary follow-up questions; refrain from offering advice, as people with depression tend to judge themselves harshly already and may struggle to accept even constructive criticism when provided in good faith.

Often, the best way to support loved ones is to encourage them to seek professional assistance, whether that means going for regular doctor's visits or seeing mental health specialists. Once both you and your loved one have an understanding of their condition and treatment options, together you can support each other during healing processes - suggest that they take their medication as prescribed and continue attending therapy if they agree.

3. Ask Questions

Ask those you care for questions about their feelings, even if they do not want to talk. By understanding more of what's causing their depression, the better equipped you'll be to assist them. Dr Heidi Kling

Heidi Kling Ph.D., highlights that regardless of their behavior if they seem suicidal, you must raise this concern gently so you can seek professional assistance together. Inquire if they have any other difficulty sleeping, eating, or participating in their usual activities.

Explaining depression is an intricate, individual process, and there's no single approach to approaching this subject matter. However, some simple strategies can make the conversation easier to start and maintain.

Visualizing depression as an inevitable downward spiral can provide perspective for individuals living with it. Another effective strategy involves emphasizing its impacts on different aspects of their life - like sleep, work, and relationships; its effects on loved ones, and how this illness needs treatment. Furthermore, it may help people understand that they must seek professional help for depression as it's an illness in its own right that requires treatment.

4. Encourage

If your loved one is reluctant to discuss their depression or hasn't talked much about it in the past, encourage them to do so. Safe and quiet places for discussion can be helpful while asking pertinent questions could also prove useful.

According to Heidi Kling Ph.D., depression can leave those affected feeling hopeless and worthless, leading them to feel they're an inconvenience to those around them. Remind them that family and friends care about them and want them to improve. Urge them to make appointments with their mental health provider either in-person or via telehealth, as well as practice healthy self-care such as eating a balanced diet, getting enough restful sleep and physical activity as well as refraining from substances like alcohol and drugs.

If a loved one hasn't yet been diagnosed, remind them that all forms of depression can be managed. If they agree, you could go along to therapy appointments together to hear directly from their mental healthcare provider and find ways to support them on their journey back. Your love and encouragement may prove instrumental on their road back from depression.

5. Offer Help

As per Heidi Kling Ph.D., depression is an incomprehensible, personal journey. Unfortunately, there's no simple way to explain it; however, you can help your loved ones gain perspective by showing them how your depression impacts all aspects of your life.

Emphasizing how depression impacts daily functioning - such as eating habits, energy levels, social interactions, and sleep quality - helps your loved ones understand just how severe depression can be.  

Encourage your friends and family to seek professional treatment if they have not done so already by helping make appointments for them and offering to go along as support. Reassure them that depression is a medical condition rather than something they need to fix on their own, reminding them that with time and treatment, their symptoms will improve. Offer to monitor symptoms closely so you can report back to their physician; this will give them accountability and confirm their treatment plan is working effectively while providing financial help with therapy or medication costs.