Said to be the most common mental health problem, depression is a complicated disorder characterized by feelings of extreme sadness that affect the emotions, thoughts, and behavior of a person. This leads to feelings of helplessness and worthlessness. Dating someone with depression can leave you bewildered and confused. This article will focus on how to date someone with depression so that both your loved ones and your wellbeings are encouraged.

Watching someone, you love to suffer from depression and not knowing the proper steps to help can be challenging. If not adequately addressed, you might put your mental health at risk.

People who suffer from depression are hopeless about a better future and may show signs of social withdrawal; this can make you feel like you did something wrong when you didn’t.

Understanding depression and knowing how to date someone with depression can help you understand and improve your communication skills with your significant other when the symptoms of their depression come up.

How To Date Someone With Depression

Dating someone depressed can be difficult for you and your loved one; their symptoms may become factors in your relationship.

However, by self-education, communication, and making yourself mentally strong, you may maintain a healthy connection with someone suffering from depression while also assisting them in receiving the necessary assistance and therapy.

You have to accept one fact before supporting them: you cannot completely heal their depression, and even trying can leave you both drained. Nonetheless, you can provide compassion and nutritional support in some ways, as discussed below.

1. Know The Type Of Depression They Are Experiencing

There are several types of depression with different causes; to support your loved one, you’ll have to understand the kind of depression they are experiencing and identify possible root causes.

For example, persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia) is different from bipolar disorder depression, and they have other reasons. Understanding your loved one’s depression diagnosis will help you plan toward a healthy association with them.

2. Assure Them That You Are There For Them

Depression is known to instill feelings of worthlessness in people. When learning how to date someone with depression you learn that they may feel they are unworthy to be with, let alone listened to. Try your best to be there for them and assure them that you’ll be there whenever they need you.

Simple phrases such as “I understand,” “I hear you,” and “I’m here for you” or other ways of saying I love you without saying I love you go a long way to let them know their pain is heard, seen, and understood. This will help tackle their feeling of worthlessness.

3. Communicate, Listen and Understand

Your depressed loved one needs to feel comfortable sharing how they think and what they want with you. This can only happen when you establish an open communication line with them such that depression is something that can be openly discussed between you two.

You should also be comfortable expressing your concerns with them if you notice that their depression is getting worse or returning after specific improvements.

4. Engage In Their Self-Care Activities

When you are dating or trying to date someone with depression, it is essential to know how to support them. This is by first acknowledging that you cannot fix them; you can only keep them by listening to them and encouraging behaviors or strategies that will help them recover as recommended by a therapist.

You can encourage these helpful recommendations by taking part in the activities. This will make your partner not feel alone and may end up enjoying the actions recommended.

5. Don’t Blame The Depression

When your loved one starts to experience withdrawal symptoms, they do not want to go out like they used to; they prefer being alone at home to going out, avoiding blaming their depression or telling them depression is the reason for their decision to be alone.

This makes them feel ashamed and highlights their low self-esteem, as you just expressed that they can’t make decisions independently.

People with depression need to feel empowered and not judged to avoid depression naturally.

6. Don’t Push Them To Be Always Happy

It is essential to understand that you can’t heal them; you can only support them. While you try to provide support, don’t expect them to be always happy and full of energy. Be understanding when they don’t feel like going out as planned, don’t try to force their mood as that will only make your partner feel like you don’t listen to them and do not care.

You could, however, try to figure out what they like and do it whenever you can.

7. Know When To Act And When To Step Back

There would be times when your loved one would need you to support them by listening to them or talking about their depression. There are also times they’ll need you to take an active stance.

Try to understand your loved one’s needs and when they need you to support them or be actively involved in their efforts to heal.

8. Provide Practical Help

When you date someone with depression, it can be challenging to make certain decisions or organize things. Their processing slows down, and their higher cognitive functioning is impaired.

Don’t force their decision-making but encourage them and help them achieve the ones they’ve made.

For example, if they’ve decided to see a therapist, you can help them look for one or offer to drive them to their appointments with their therapist.

9. Be Attentive

After getting educated on the depression your loved one is suffering from, pay attention to their needs and health, so you know when they need support and how they want it.

When you notice some decline in improvement, check if there’s anything you can do, encourage them to exercise, eat and sleep well, and seek professional help.

Let them know when you notice positive changes because they may not see their improvements. This will further encourage them and amplify their mood.

10. Establish Self-Care Routines

While you look for how to date someone with depression, it is also essential you don’t neglect or put your health at risk. Be sure to take care of yourself. Exercise regularly, sleep well, eat healthily, socialize, manage your stress or even see a therapist when you have to.

Taking care of yourself by being mentally strong will prevent you from adding your problems to your loved one’s existing problems.

FAQs About Dating Someone With Depression

What early signs of depression should I look out for in my loved one?

Symptoms of depression settle in with time. However, the earliest people tend to develop a change in interests, sleep problems, and changes in appetite.

These symptoms may seem usual, so it is difficult to detect depression at its earliest stage of development.

How do I get my loved one to go to therapy?

When your loved one suffers from depression, they might not want to get help from a professional, and you should not force them but instead encourage them.

Therapy only works when the person is willing to commit. You could promote their commitment by showing support and sharing your experience if You’ve been to treatment before.

Conclusion

Depression and its symptoms can be treated. If you are dating or trying to date someone with depression, encourage them to seek help and support.

Knowing how to date someone with depression entails providing support to your loved one and taking care of yourself to be emotionally strong enough to encourage their recovery and not add to their existing problem.