Depression in the family

I’m sure you’ve seen those anti-depressant commercials that show a dog waiting to be played with, a child being ignored or a spouse turned away from his mate. The commercials always include with the tagline, “Who does depression hurt? Everyone.”

If you’re not depressed before seeing these commercials, you’ll definitely feel a little blue afterward.

Lately, I’ve realized just how true these commercials are as I’ve watched several of my friends be affected by depression in their families. One woman is dealing with a husband who refuses to get help for his depression, but is basically pulling the whole family down with him and leaving his wife feeling alone and helpless.

Another friend recently went off her anti-depressant medicine she was taking after having a baby and is struggling to get used to life without her medication. And yet another is dealing with the effects of a depression so severe that it caused her 21-year-old brother to take his life with a gun.

In all of these cases, I’ve seen how a depressed parent or child can truly affect an entire family. Children feel neglected, spouses feel unwanted and siblings lose a friend. It’s devastating to watch.

And while I feel for the people who are battling the depression, I also think it must be difficult to be the family that is trying to love that person despite mood swings, lethargy and a general lack of interest in anything or anyone. It must be hard to love someone who doesn’t seem to love you back anymore.

It must be particularly difficult if that person refuses to get help or treatment because of pride. Seems as if pride would be a small price to pay to lift the fog of depression off your entire family.

Have any of you dealt with depression yourself or with someone in your immediate family? How do you deal with a spouse, child or parent who is clinically depressed? How can one person’s mental state affect an entire family?