Coping with Depression in the Family

I know what you may be thinking; Where have you been? Well, I wasn't on holiday nor was I abducted by aliens. One of my close relatives suffers with depression and they refuse to acknowledge it, much to the anguish of those who are closest to them. The past week has been spent fretting about, feeding and supporting my family. Not to mention the family member in question.


Em and L have both been incredibly supportive, but we agreed that this blog is a group blog. We sit around the computer every night and write together, we're a little family and we do our best to support each other, unfortunately we couldn't get to the blog last week and for that we are very sorry! We will be doubling up our posts (at least!) for this week.

Despite all of the happenings, it has made us reflect on depression and the amount of people across the world who have experience of dealing with an ill family member or friend and how it's really hard to take a step back and consider how to support yourself.

So, here are a few of our tips:

#1: Make sure that you are taking care of yourself. Don't skip meals, your usual schedule might go out of the window but that does not mean that you don't need fuel. Would you drive to work with an empty or near-empty gas tank? No. The same goes for your tummy!

#2: Don't feel guilty for taking time out. If you're not strong enough to carry yourself through the day then you can't expect yourself to have the fortitude to do that for another person.

#3: Smile. It sounds simple but if you take a look around the next time you walk through your shopping centre or mall then you'll notice that there aren't many folk smiling back at you. Our yoga teacher told us that she smiles to practice contentment and that this is her best coping strategy because it really does relax you. Give it a go, at first it might seem tiresome but trust us; that tip has got us through many a stressful situation!

#4: Reconnect. Call your friends and meet up for a hot drink and a treat. There is nothing like a chat over a warm cup of tea with a good friend to lift your spirits

#5: Meditate. It's not limited to sitting in the lotus position and chanting (but if that's what you are happy doing, then by all means strike a pose!), meditation is a relaxation technique. If you are happier taking a bath, doing some visualisation or even drawing then do so. Bottom line is that you need a way to let it out and ground yourself.

#6: Exercise. Not only does exercise release endorphins (the feel good factor) but it also energises you which strengthens and grounds you.

All it takes is a few minutes, and you'll find that you are of better use to those around you and in a better state if you give yourself that teeny bit of time.

So, you ask, what about encouraging a relative or friend to see the doctor? Well, we have struggled with that one. In the end, it took 4 additional relatives, a lot of talking, a lot of stress and a refusal to supply the relative in question with any caffeine. Long story short is that they have gone to the doctor, who has asked that a relative attend next time to help explain symptomatology further.

If you have any tips that have helped you through a similar situations then please leave them in the comments section. In words similar to a certain supermarket; every bit helps.