5 Things You Must Know When Your Spouse Struggles with Depression

1.                  Depression is a whole-body problem. It affects our thoughts, actions, feelings, relationships and even our faith-walk. It can literally take over and distort every aspect of our life.

2.                  People don't ask to get this problem and they can't simply will it away. While treatment of depression is very effective, it often requires individual counseling, couples counseling as well as medications. Most people experience relief when they are willing to aggressively tackle the problem.

3.                  Depression impacts marriages. It steals joy and life. It robs not only the person suffering from it, but their mate, their children, their friends and family. This compounds the problem, creating even more distance, and more abandonment and isolation.

4.                  Depression is treatable. If you are willing to seek treatment through individual, couples and medication intervention, most recover. Communication in marriage improves, helping the individual rise out of their depression.      

5.                  Finally, seeking God's help is critical. He is the ultimate source of our joy and promises to give to us life in abundance. Faith in God often leads to seeking wise counsel in these other areas of our lives. Developing a comprehensive treatment plan includes looking at the way we think, dealing effectively with the concrete problems in our lives, obtaining the support of our family as well as enriching our faith-life.

Finding joy is possible, though this may have been missing in your life for some time. Consider whether or not depression has been a secret part of your relationship struggles and if so, seek help.

Adapted from Dr. David Hawkins

Signs That Your Spouse Is Depressed

Marriage brings a lot of challenges and issues that tend to break the resolve of many people to hold on, especially when times are hard and the home-front isn’t bring any joy. Many couples tend to end up becoming violent and abusive of their spouse, while a great number come down with feelings of depression.

So how do you know if you or your spouse is suffering from depression? Do you have symptoms of clinical depression? 

Sure, most of us feel sad, lonely, or depressed at times. And feeling depressed is a normal reaction to loss, life's struggles, or an injured self-esteem. But when these feelings become overwhelming, involve physical symptoms, and last for long periods of time, they can keep you from leading a normal, active life. That's when it's time to seek medical help.

If left untreated, symptoms of clinical or major depression may worsen and last for months or sometimes even years. They can cause untold suffering and possibly lead to suicide. Recognizing the symptoms of depression is often the biggest hurdle to the diagnosis and treatment of clinical or major depression. 

Unfortunately, approximately half the people who experience symptoms never do get diagnosed or treated for their illness.

Not getting treatment can be life threatening. More than one out of every 10 people battling depression commits suicide.

What Are Symptoms of Depression?

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, symptoms of depression may include the following:

•           Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions

•           Fatigue and decreased energy

•           Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and/or helplessness

•           Feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism

•           Insomnia, early-morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping

•           Irritability, restlessness

•           Loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable, including sex

•           Overeating or appetite loss

•           Persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment

•           Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" feelings

•           Thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts