Even when they’re pushing you away, you can still be there for them.
Depression causes people to desire to isolate themselves from others. Like a quote from a book comes this conversation often spoken by the one fighting these horrors:
“I don’t want to see anyone. I lie in the bedroom with the curtains drawn and nothingness washing over me like a sluggish wave. Whatever is happening to me is my own fault. I have done something wrong, something so huge I can’t even see it, something that’s drowning me. I am inadequate and stupid, without worth. I might as well be dead.”
That quote reminds me of the desperate loneliness and despondency one feels when depressed. But even though depression makes a person feel hopelessly alone, that’s often exactly why depression motivates a person to seek, more isolation. People suffering from depression typically get frustrated with feeling like they’re a burden on their loved ones. This causes them to isolate themselves and push away the very people they need the most.
If a loved one becomes distant through their depression, just do your best to remind them as often as possible that you’re still nearby, but don’t force them to socialize or talk about their feelings if they don’t want to. Be patient. Ease into it.
Keep in mind that even though they may want their space, this doesn’t mean they want to face their pain alone 24/7. Schedule in time to spend with them. Offer to take them to their favorite restaurant, or even pick up some tasty to-go food for them. Introduce plenty of opportunities to create informal one on one time where you can break them out of their routine, even if it’s just for a few minutes. Reach out to them at random intervals. Be a present, living reminder that they are not alone. Your love and support can make the biggest difference in breaking the stranglehold depression has on them.
Galatians 5:13 "For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another."
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