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Your family can be your first line of support when you are struggling. Their unconditional love can be your source of strength when things turn unfavorable in your life. While they may love and support you, if they are facing the same challenges, they may not be able to be there for you in the ways you need them to be. When families face adversity together this can add another layer of distress. Family counseling can be helpful when the whole family is facing adversity or mental health challenges.  

Depression: How It Impact Families

Depression can hurt not only the person with depression, but everyone close to them. Depression can:

• Put a strain on your interactions. With symptoms, such as anhedonia, social withdrawal, and irritability it can be difficult to know how to provide support. Depression can make you sad, seemingly unreasonable and short-tempered. This can lead to conflict and distress in relationships.

• Challenge patience, especially if treatment options are refused. Depression is a condition that requires treatment and intervention. Symptoms rarely improve on their own. If treatment is refused this can put strain on the family. 

• Decrease your motivation and ability to complete tasks. When symptoms of depression are present, your functioning will likely decline. When our functioning declines it is difficult to do the things we need to do. This can keep us from doing our fair share of work around the house and prevent us from showing up for those closest to us even when we desperately want to. 

• Lead to financial distress. Depression may make it difficult for you to maintain employment due to how intrusive symptoms can be. If symptoms lead to frequent job loss you and your family may experience financial difficulties.

• Cause you to isolate. Depression can make it hard to want to go out and be around others. This can cause you to shut down and remove yourself from family gatherings and may even make other family members avoid gatherings due to your symptoms.

Family Therapy: Seeking Refuge and Enlightenment

With intervention, depression can be managed. Seeking treatment from an experienced therapist can help to alleviate your symptoms. When one family member struggles, the entire family can struggle. As depression is treated and you are feeling healthier your family can begin to work toward wellness too. Family counseling can be a powerful intervention in treating depression. 

According to Mayo Clinic, “Family therapy is a type of psychological counseling that helps family members improve communication and resolve conflicts.”  Depression can make communication difficult and can certainly lead to conflict. Counseling can help with this. 

Just as a family can be the source of support during this trying time, they can also contribute to the deterioration of your condition. If they don’t understand depression and how it can impact your relationships, they can’t be effective in their roles and they can end up hurt and overwhelmed. Out of fatigue and confusion, their “expressed emotion” can be excessive worry, distress, resentment, and criticism.  This will not help you or the rest of the family.

Finding Help for the Family

Depression is powerful, but you aren’t powerless. With the right help from a therapist independently contracted with Carolina Counseling Services – Cameron, NC you and your family can overcome depression. Together you can come out stronger on the other side. Call CCS today to get started!