by Melissa R. Bickel

Created on: May 03, 2009   Last Updated: July 14, 2009

Depression hurts and it affects more than just the mental state of a person. Your thoughts, your body and your soul aren't the same when you're depressed. The effects of depression can be so upsetting you no longer know how to function as a living being. You can't even perform your normal daily rituals.

Yes, depression can be debilitating, so much so a person quits living normally. Maintaining a household, family, shopping, and paying bills can become so overwhelming you / they choose to forgo it all. A depressed person can become a recluse within the home. Being depressed you or someone you love might even find yourself / them self seeking out the comfort of a bedroom, only to close self off from everyone one around.

As a person or they as a person who suffers from depression might experience daily (severe mood swings or have trouble concentrating). It can be so frustrating, that any attempt to understand why you're or they're depressed, can cause anxieties which is taken out on those around. A husband, wife, children or friend could become a target of rage, rejection and abandonment. You or a loved one can start detesting self because of feeling mean and worthless.

When someone ask you if you want help, you / they might not be able to really explain what the need is. You or someone you love, as a depressed person, just want to be left alone to sink back into the darkness which already surrounds and consumes. Oh, you / they truly might want the help, but nothing makes sense. Every hurdle you / they need to overcome, is so huge, the issues which need addressing are only skirted or avoided all together.

As a depressed person you or they can sink deeper into the mire of depression. This causes the quality of life to change not only for self, but for those around. Those who, love you or them, witness the downward spiral and share in it. The depression of the affected one has become the depression of others, by association, just in different ways. Spouses or partners want that strong mate back, the one they first fell in love with. The children, if any, want the parent back who made their worries go away.

Seeking professional medical help is one step a depressed individual can pursue. In order to get your or their mental balance back in check, you or someone you love may need medical help. It wont be easy as you or their life is in an uproar already. By encouragement and support though, you or they can open up and be honest in communication with your or their medical provider. Then it can be determined which steps to take next!

When depression's tentacles extend out and touch more than just the depressed person life, everyone in the family might benefit from some sort of counseling sessions as well. Peace of mind comes to those who can get a grasp on the affects and effects of depression. The family then can help the depressed family member start functioning once more in his or her own daily life.

Being willing to admit there is a problem and watching for certain signs in behavior, which isn't normal ,is the first step in determining if you or someone you love might have depression. Then seeking help to learn how to cope and maintain a healthy mental life and good daily routine is a must. Many people worldwide suffer from depression, so you're / they're not alone. A good daily routine can be maintained even if you or they suffer from depression.

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