How to Talk to a Depressed PartnerHow To Talk To A Depressed Partner

A lack of understanding when it comes to mental illness makes many people treat clinical depression in other like an easily solvable problem, when in fact it’s anything but that.

When you’re ready to talk to a depressed partner about how they’re feeling and how you can help, there are a lot of wrong things to say. Learn how to approach the situation carefully and respectfully, so your words don’t do more harm than good.

Start by Acknowledging That Depression Is an Illness

If you think depression is just something you can snap out of, you might end making your partner feel even worse. Personal weakness has nothing to do with a chemical imbalance in the brain which can’t go away if the person who’s going through it just wishes that enough. When you’re worried that your partner might be depressed, have an open conversation about it, while acknowledging that there are treatments available for it.

Don’t Try to Offer Solutions to Something You Can’t Solve

The biggest mistake you can make when you talk to a depressed partner is to offer solutions you think are perfectly reasonable, when in fact they’re insulting. Working out and getting out more can’t cure depression, no more than you can will away a tumor.