As we move further towards the holiday season, let's take a moment to talk about a topic that affects thousands of people: depression. Personally, I suffer from moderate depression. I've been depressed since I was quite young and, by the time I sought help as a young adult, I'd spent more than a decade of my life constantly battling suicidal thoughts. The holidays were the worst time for me because, while I was surrounded by family members who were joyously celebrating the season and each other, I loathed their joyous presence. I resented their ability to be genuinely happy. I wanted to join them, but I felt too dejected. Despite all the love that they showed me, I came across as annoyed and irritable but, as a teenager, it was expected. As a teenager I was just written off as being rude and would grow out of the behavior. That being said, part of it was that I needed them to leave me be a bit. It was a delicate balance between needing love and needing space because, during the holidays, family can sometimes be suffocating. They may only see you once a year, so they want to see you the entire time they're there for their visit.
If you're one of these relatives, I have a little advice for you on how to interact with your depressed loved one. Firstly, love them and spend time with them, but respect their space. Invite them to hang out with you, but don't make a big deal of it. If you want to take them out, but they want to stay in, ask if they'd want you to stay in with them. Get their favorite movie and take-out. Sometimes that person may want contact but just can't muster the strength to leave the house. Other times, they may not want company at all. Just respect that and settle for a phone call, or drop by and drop off some comfort food. If you need any information on how to identify depression, visit this website here.
If you're the person suffering from depression, remember that there's someone out there who cares for you and your life. If your family doesn't care, there's always friends. If it's not friends there's always animals or strangers who can empathize because they're human just like you. If you're struggling and having suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Happy holidays, and enjoy them as best you can.
