How Can I Learn What A Pisces Man Needs
When you want to learn about what is causing a Pisces man to feel depressed, you will find that communication is key. Throughout your discussions, it is certain that he will share a lot of information with you. You will need to allow your insight to guide you, as your intuition and personal connection with him will help you understand what is bothering him. This will allow you to reach a conclusion regarding what needs to be addressed.
A Pisces man will feel more willing to share the crux of his problems when he feels comfortable. With this in mind, you will want to create a safe and comfortable environment, as this will make him more likely to open up to you. If he fails to speak with you about his feelings, then it is possible that he is embarrassed or insecure. By making time for him, his feelings of trust will be nourished and his feelings for you will grow.
How To Help Someone With Depression
According to data from the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 21 million adults in the US have experienced at least one severe episode of depression. That adds up to about 8.4% of the total adult population.
Due to the prevalence of this mental health condition, there are chances everyone knows someone who struggles with it. But because of echoes of mental health stigma and still low awareness about depression, its common to lack knowledge of helping those having it.
To help you be more informed, weve gathered the seven most helpful tips on how to help someone with depression. Read on to know them!
If you think you experience depression symptoms, get your symptoms checked by our mental health experts.
Know That The Odds Are In Your Favor
Up to 80 percent of people report seeing an improvement within four to six weeks of starting treatment, according to statistics from the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. Usually, the road back is relatively simple: antidepressants, counseling, or a combination of the two, they report. That said, recovery may take time and patience, Walfish says. There may be an initial trial-and-error period while you try various antidepressants or see whether various therapy techniques, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy and interpersonal counseling, are helpful. The results are worth it.
Written by Jeff Johnson
Its another morning where you are getting ready for work, but your husband is still in bed with the covers pulled over his head. Hes been listless like this for a couple of weeks, barely able to function most mornings, and when he gets home from work he is frequently exhausted, which means he is easily irritated by the most minor things. He doesnt eat like he used to in fact, hes lost interest in many of the things that he used to enjoy. He says he feels sad, and you feel the sameyou miss the man you married, and you are wondering if he will ever come back.
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Clingy And Jealous At The Same Time
If your man is clingy, wants to go everywhere with you, and do every single thing with you, you may be with a man who has mother abandonment issues. It may surprise you that, despite him wanting to be with you and never letting you out of his sight, he is also jealous at the same time.
The jealousy comes in when he doesnt want you to have other people in your life, as this takes you away from him. He may also accuse you of cheating or of being absent and not being there for him, but this is an expression of his own lack of trust.
His mother left him, so he is terrified you will leave him. Keep in mind your man has never had a strong female figure in his life, so you will have to train him and teach him that he can trust you and you will do the right thing by him.
Look out for him saying things like You are never here for me, Why dont you want to spend more time with me? and Am I not good enough for you to be with so you always want to go out with other people?
If he says these and similar things, it indicates he is replaying his own issues with his mothers absence and lack of dependability on you. Mentally, your man has equated you to his mother, and its up to you to help him see you are not his mother and you wont treat him like she treated him.
You can teach him to trust you in increments to help lessen his jealousy and clinginess.
Do I Need Health Insurance To Receive This Service
The referral service is free of charge. If you have no insurance or are underinsured, we will refer you to your state office, which is responsible for state-funded treatment programs. In addition, we can often refer you to facilities that charge on a sliding fee scale or accept Medicare or Medicaid. If you have health insurance, you are encouraged to contact your insurer for a list of participating health care providers and facilities.
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They May Deny The Problem
A depressed spouse may deny that they have any problem at all, Ben-David says.
âMany people with depression or mental health issues donât want to be âfixed.â They may just want to be heard. If in the process of listening to your partner, if you hear things that are too hurtful for you to handle, then turn to a professional for help,â he says. âYour spouse may not identify their behaviors as depression. If theyâre acting out with sex, drinking, drugs, or food, they may say, âI need this. It eases my stress.ââ
Encourage your spouse to get help and a diagnosis from a mental health professional. They can start with talk therapy and, if they need it, prescription medication, Barber says. Make an appointment with a psychologist, psychiatrist, counselor, or family doctor for a diagnosis, and begin therapy.
âPsychotherapy plus medication has shown to work better for depression than just medication. Medication without talking is not going to help,â says Barber, who adds that medication may be more appropriate to treat people with severe depression.
Some couples choose to have therapy together, especially if depression has led to sexual issues in the marriage, such as an affair, Ben-David says. Your depressed partner may prefer to do solo therapy. If theyâre struggling with addiction, they need to treat that before tackling their depression, he says.
How To Know If Youre Depressed
If you identify with several of the following, you may be suffering from depression.
If you’re feeling suicidal
Problems dont seem temporarythey seem overwhelming and permanent. But if you reach out for help, you will feel better.
Read HelpGuides Suicide Prevention articles or call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in the U.S. at 988. For help outside the U.S., visit Befrienders Worldwide.
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Help For Men In Crisis
Women with depression are more likely to attempt suicide, but men are more likely to die by suicide. Men often use more lethal methods in their attempts, such as firearms or hanging, while women are more likely to use less lethal methods such as poisoning .
If someone you know is in crisis and may be at risk for suicide, call 911 or take them to the nearest hospital emergency room, Dr. McClure says. If you are the person at risk, seek help immediately, either by calling the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or 911.
Depression can affect any man at any age. But with the right treatment, most men with depression can get better and gain back their interest in work, family and hobbies.
To make an appointment with UNC Medical Centers Adult Psychiatry Outpatient Services, call 984-974-5217.
What Causes Depression In Men
Depression is one of the most common mental disorders in the U.S. Current research suggests that depression is caused by a combination of risk factors including:
- Genetic factorsmen with a family history of depression may be more likely to develop it than those whose family members do not have the illness.
- Environmental Stressfinancial problems, loss of a loved one, a difficult relationship, major life changes, work problems, or any stressful situation may trigger depression in some men.
- Illnessdepression can occur with other serious medical illnesses, such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, or Parkinsons disease. Depression can make these conditions worse and vice versa. Sometimes, medications taken for these illnesses may cause side effects that trigger or worsen depression.
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How To Reach Out For Depression Support
Look for support from people who make you feel safe and cared for. The person you talk to doesnt have to be able to fix you they just need to be a good listener-someone wholl listen attentively and compassionately without being distracted or judging you.
Make face-time a priority. Phone calls, social media, and texting are great ways to stay in touch, but they dont replace good old-fashioned in-person quality time. The simple act of talking to someone face to face about how you feel can play a big role in relieving depression and keeping it away.
Try to keep up with social activities even if you dont feel like it. Often when youre depressed, it feels more comfortable to retreat into your shell, but being around other people will make you feel less depressed.
Find ways to support others. Its nice to receive support, but research shows you get an even bigger mood boost from providing support yourself. So find ways-both big and small-to help others: volunteer, be a listening ear for a friend, do something nice for somebody.
Care for a pet. While nothing can replace the human connection, pets can bring joy and companionship into your life and help you feel less isolated. Caring for a pet can also get you outside of yourself and give you a sense of being needed-both powerful antidotes to depression.
Even if youve retreated from relationships that were once important to you, make the effort to reconnect.
Encouraging The Person To Get Help
While you cant control someone elses recovery from depression, you can start by encouraging the depressed person to seek help. Getting a depressed person into treatment can be difficult. Depression saps energy and motivation, so even the act of making an appointment or finding a doctor can seem daunting to your loved one. Depression also involves negative ways of thinking. The depressed person may believe that the situation is hopeless and treatment pointless.
Because of these obstacles, getting your loved one to admit to the problemand helping them see that it can be solvedis an essential step in depression recovery.
If your friend or family member resists getting help:
Suggest a general check-up with a physician. Your loved one may be less anxious about seeing a family doctor than a mental health professional. A regular doctors visit is actually a great option, since the doctor can rule out medical causes of depression. If the doctor diagnoses depression, they can refer your loved one to a psychiatrist or psychologist. Sometimes, this professional opinion makes all the difference.
Offer to help the depressed person find a doctor or therapist and go with them on the first visit.Finding the right treatment provider can be difficult, and is often a trial-and-error process. For a depressed person already low on energy, it is a huge help to have assistance making calls and looking into the options.
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Negative Unrealistic Ways Of Thinking That Fuel Male Depression
All-or-nothing thinking. Looking at things in black-or-white categories, with no middle ground
Overgeneralization. Generalizing from a single negative experience, expecting it to hold true forever
The mental filter. Ignoring positive events and focusing on the negative. Noticing the one thing that went wrong, rather than all the things that went right.
Diminishing the positive. Coming up with reasons why positive events dont count
Jumping to conclusions. Making negative interpretations without actual evidence. You act like a mind reader or a fortune teller
Emotional reasoning. Believing that the way you feel reflects reality
Shoulds and should-nots.Holding yourself to a strict list of what you should and shouldnt do, and beating yourself up if you dont live up to your rules.
Labeling. Classifying yourself based on mistakes and perceived shortcomings
Taking Care Of Yourself
Theres a natural impulse to want to fix the problems of people we care about, but you cant control someone elses depression. You can, however, control how well you take care of yourself. Its just as important for you to stay healthy as it is for the depressed person to get treatment, so make your own well-being a priority.
Remember the advice of airline flight attendants: put on your own oxygen mask before you assist anyone else. In other words, make sure your own health and happiness are solid before you try to help someone who is depressed. You wont do your friend or family member any good if you collapse under the pressure of trying to help. When your own needs are taken care of, youll have the energy you need to lend a helping hand.
Speak up for yourself. You may be hesitant to speak out when the depressed person in your life upsets you or lets you down. However, honest communication will actually help the relationship in the long run. If youre suffering in silence and letting resentment build, your loved one will pick up on these negative emotions and feel even worse. Gently talk about how youre feeling before pent-up emotions make it too hard to communicate with sensitivity.
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What Are Abandonment Issues
Abandonment issues are ways to cope when someone has been pushed aside or left behind by someone significant in their life . Acting out is a way to avoid getting hurt again, leaving before being left, and discarding a partner before they leave them.
For a man who suffered early childhood abandonment by his mother, the real issues are that he tries to prevent the same pain from happening again by not trusting partners, fearing they will leave him, and running from any relationship pressures. Because he has been hurt so badly in the past, his whole connection to others is based on fear and wanting to prevent pain from recurring.
As a result, he projects his pain and fears onto the other person, seeing them as a manifestation of the person who abandoned him in the first place. So, his partner becomes his mother and he tries to hang onto her while also wanting to leave her before she leaves him .
How he deals with abandonment issues will depend on how self-aware he is when facing his own past and abandonment. If you are trying to help your partner deal with his abandonment issues that stemmed from his absent mother, you will only help him through his issues if you can help him mother himself.
Healing from abandonment only starts when he can make inner peace with his maternal abandonment. Fortunately, you can help him with that once you know what to look out for.
Tips For Providing Ongoing Support
Once the conversation about a guys health is started, its important to be available to support his journey to recovery. Below are some tips to keep in mind to make the most of your support efforts.
Let him know that you are available
Make sure he knows that you want to support him whenever you can. Depending on your relationship, this may involve checking in with him daily, weekly or a couple times a month.
What you can say:
- I want you to know that I have your back, youre not in this alone.
- I want to be there for you. If you need someone to bounce ideas around with, listen to, or talk to, Im here.
Be patient
Its important to have realistic expectations for recovery. Recovering from depression can be a long process and there are going to be ups and downs on the way. Keep an open dialogue and do your best to be patient, reassuring, and honest.
Encourage all efforts toward recovery
Recovery from depression involves more than seeing a doctor or therapist . It also includes other important life changes, like eating better and being more physically active. Encourage and support even the most modest steps on his road to recovery. Collectively, they add up to him being closer to better health.
Help with daily tasks or planning
Set goals together
Guys tend to be task-oriented and generally respond well to goal setting. Together with him, sort through some of the things going on in his life, set some goals , and help him start addressing them.
Dont take it personally
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Remind Him That Help Is Out There
Knowing how to help a depressed boyfriend can feel overwhelming, but try and remind your boyfriend that, now more than ever, talking about mental health issues is encouraged and accepted. A problem shared is a problem halved, right?
Telling him that you love him, that he is worthy of support, and that he is no less of a man to accept help is also important, shares Smithies. Let him know that its normal now for men to seek help to move past their problems more quickly talking to a therapist who is qualified specifically to deal with depression and anxiety could really help, he explains.
Its worth stressing that therapy also offers a confidential space where your boyfriend can get support from a professional and objective source. As much as we all want to help our loved ones, its important to remember that it is impossible to be unbiased and objective in the way we communicate with them, Smithies concludes.
Remember, Samaritans is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Simply call 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org. Whether youre struggling or someone you know is, their experts are there to help.