The Importance of Relationships and Depression Awareness

Imagine caring deeply for someone only to have an illness shatter your relationship. People face this scenario everyday. With depression striking much as 10% of the population yearly conservatively you can say the illness currently affects more than 20% of society. Whether or not it is you that suffers from depression, there is someone you care about who does. Depression affects more than the person. Depression affects families, friendships and any relationships which requires daily personal interaction.

The good news

Someone looking over my shoulder as I wrote the paragraph title just flipped out. Why? Because that person buys into the myths and stigmas surrounding depression. Also you the reader might buy into them as well. Despite the misinformation that surrounds depression, it is not a death sentence for a people or a relationships. That is unless you make it become so.

A true analogy

Depression is a natural occurrence that takes place within a person for a reason. Not much different from my friend Jack whose wife developed respiratory problems from a lifetime of smoking. They last four years of her life were spent dealing with the complications from the disease. When she finally passed away a mutual friend suggested that now Jack could live a better life. He responded by explaining their time together was about them and their relationship, it was never about the illness. She was there for him as much as he was for her. The illness was like anything else in life, something that happened. Through it all the relationship remained strong because they were about “us” not you and me. That is the core of all relationships. That is why if you work as a team with the relationship and not the illness as your center, the relationship has a very good chance of not only surviving but growing stronger.

Where to start?

For most of us when in third grade, if the teacher just stood in front of the class and said “Everyone is to write a paper on quantum physics and it's relationship to the theory of relativity” the first thing to come to mind is the question, “What is that?” Today we are mostly the same way with depression awareness. A relative upon discovering I teach depression awareness asked, “Where in your degree does it say you can diagnose depression?” Of course the person I am referring to achieved a“You gotta get outta here” diploma when graduating high school. You have to start by learning what depression awareness is as well as what it is all about.

What is Depression Awareness?

Depression awareness is learning the signs, the symptoms, causes and steps for prevention. This is no different than heart disease awareness, cancer awareness or any other health awareness program. It is not diagnosis. It is about prevention and hopefully early detection. Only a qualified doctor should and can diagnose an illness. By learning what the illness is, what may cause it and what we can do for prevention can we help ourselves, our families and our relationships. By learning the signs and symptoms you can detect the possibility of a problem It is not unlike detecting a mass in a breast. Being aware of possible problem and looking into it early may prevent the worst later. It can serve save a family, relationship and a life.

What about Relationships and Depression Awareness?

Relationships are maintained by one of more parties involved working at it. It is a team effort. Relationships and depression awareness is the same two sided coin. The goal is to keep the relationship symbiotic. Which is to say a mutual interaction between members of the relationship. In one of my forums a member spoke about how his family and he dealt with his depression. They worked as a team. They all knew the signs They all had a part in recognition, coping and doing their part in support. This was including he, himself who suffered from the disease. In his particular case the bouts over time became fewer and less severe. This was due to a family learned depression awareness and put relationship first. Depression awareness is all about maintaining self and relationships.