Breaking The Bonds of Depression (Part 2)

Breaking The Bonds of Depression (Part 2)

Psalm 62:5 "Find rest, o my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him."

Being loved when you are depressed feels like a massive burden. You don’t want to see anyone.  You want to lie in the bedroom with the curtains drawn and nothingness washing over you like a sluggish wave.  You feel that whatever is happening to you is your own fault.  You feel you've done something wrong, something so huge you can’t even see it.  You feel inadequate, stupid, and without worth.  You even wonder if you might be better off dead. 

Depression makes you feel hopelessly alone. It motivates you to seek more isolation.  People suffering from depression typically get anxious, feeling like they’re a burden on their loved ones.  This causes them to isolate themselves and push away the very people they need.

So, if someone you love 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.  Introduce plenty of small opportunities to create informal one-on-one time when you can break them out of their routine, even if it’s just for a few minutes.  Reach out to them at random intervals.  Just be a present, living reminder that they are not alone.

Exhaustion is a common side effect of both depression and severe heartbreak.  Just getting out of bed in the morning can be an overwhelming and excruciating experience.  Also, someone suffering from these states of mind may feel fine one moment and then completely depleted the next, even if they’re eating right and getting plenty of sleep.  This can result in them canceling plans, departing events early, or saying "No" far more often than usual.  These choices aren’t personal attacks on friends and family. In fact, it has nothing to do with anyone else.  These are just some of the prevalent side effects of working through severe mental anguish.

Again, if you love someone who is presently suffering, remind yourself that a human being can only give to others what they themselves have.  Remind yourself that depression, and to a lesser degree, heartbreak, can take almost everything away.  All your actions and words should come from a place of love, but that doesn’t mean your depressed or heartbroken loved one will always be loving in return, and that’s fine.  When you do not take things personally, you liberate yourself, You open yourself to loving someone who truly needs you, freely, and without letting needless expectations get in the way of the immeasurable amounts of love you are capable of giving.