Caregiver Depression – It Isn’t Always What You Think

Discussions and definitions of depression focus on what a person does and does not do. A depressed person may struggle to get out of bed, has little interest in enjoyable activities, does not take care of themselves – that type of thing. 

These perspectives are all true, but they’re not complete. 

Depression can also present in very different ways, depending on the person and the situation. Sometimes, the illness just presents in what people feel, not what they do. This is why some people appear to have normal, healthy and happy lives, then attempt to kill themselves out of the blue.

The pattern is particularly relevant for caregiving and for parents of young children. In these situations, someone else is depending on you. This may make you feel like you don’t have time to be depressed or that what you feel simply isn’t important.  

You may even be able to do everything that is required of you, without anyone ever noticing. 

I cannot stress enough how dangerous it is to do so. 

Depression is tiring. It exhausts you from the inside out. This is even more true when you are pushing past those emotions on a regular basis. 

Even if it all feels completely achievable now, it doesn’t take much to knock you off balance. Trust me, I know. As a caregiver, I was able to force myself through depression and through the period after my partner died.

I convinced myself that I could keep forcing through, no matter how long it took. Trying to do so almost killed me. It wasn’t until I started to get treatment that the world began to look better.

Look for Help

Finding help and support early is critical. If you can’t do this for your own sake, do it for the person (or people) that you care for. 

In reality, you probably can’t force through it indefinitely. When you try to, you risk falling apart at exactly the wrong moment.

The idea from before is true – as a caregiver, you don’t have the time to be sick or depressed. That makes getting treatment more important than ever. Taking the time now helps prevent much more damaging outcomes further down the line.