{"id":40471,"date":"2016-04-29T21:08:12","date_gmt":"2016-04-30T05:08:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=40471"},"modified":"2017-05-27T08:50:33","modified_gmt":"2017-05-27T16:50:33","slug":"how-to-spot-and-support-your-spouse-through-depression","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/how-to-spot-and-support-your-spouse-through-depression\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Spot and Support your Spouse through Depression"},"content":{"rendered":"
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John* had seemed less like himself lately, and his wife Celeste* had started to notice. He laughed less, and when he was at home all he wanted to do was sleep. They had only been married for a few years, so it was very noticeable when John\u2019s libido suddenly went down the drain.<\/p>\n

Celeste wondered, what happened to her once happy-go-lucky husband? The guy who used to be the life of the party now just went to work, school, and hardly did anything else. She grew concerned. When she would ask him what was wrong, he would just shrug his shoulders. After a while, she took her concerns to a family member, who was a retired therapist. The therapist recommended that Celeste talk to John and help him get in to see someone.<\/p>\n

Through talking to his doctor, John realized that he in fact was depressed. In the process, he also realized that a traumatic event that happened to a family member triggered his downward spiral, and then everything else in his life seemed overwhelming to the point of debilitating. Once the family member was better, and John had worked through his emotional issues, his depression eventually dissipated.<\/p>\n

Along the way, Celeste was a big support to John. She tried to give him space when he needed it, but she also reminded him often that she would be happy to talk to him about anything. Sometimes while driving around town, when John seemed to be more emotionally ready, they talked about his feelings. She tried to take the burden off of his shoulders as much as she could. In the end, the couple grew closer through the experience.<\/p>\n

\u00a0What is depression? <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Depression is a very real mental illness and can be very serious. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, major depressive disorder affects over 14 million American adults; it is more common in women, and the median age for adult depression is around 32 years old\u2014though it can happen at any age. Some people develop depression after a specific event, and others develop it for seemingly no reason at all. Sometimes depression resolves after a period of time, and still others battle it for their entire lives.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard when it happens to you, and it\u2019s hard when it happens to your spouse. Sometimes the change is gradual, so you may not connect the dots at first. But then one day it hits you\u2014something’s very wrong. As that person\u2019s spouse, you are the one who can best spot changes in their moods or behavior, and you are the first person who can support them in getting the help they need.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Here are ways to spot depression in your spouse and what to do about it:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0Know the Warning Signs<\/strong><\/p>\n

If your spouse has any of the following symptoms (info from the May Clinic), he or she could have depression:<\/p>\n