How would you react to a family member suffering from depression?

If you found out that a friend or family member is on medication for depression, do you treat them differently? In other words, do you go out of your way to handle them with kid gloves, and/or try to avoid upsetting them?

My only experience with this is a friend who suffers from depression. It has been controlled with meds the entire time I have known her until recently. And, honestly, I do act differently around her now because I feel more cautious not to say anything that will rub her the wrong way.

Ppl with depression are afflicted just like most of us are in some way or another. If they take their meds and it works, they are just like anyone else, only taking meds. If the meds aren't taken or don't work then there are problems with the withdrawal and lack of interest in what most ppl like, and the possibility of suicide.

My reaction would be from day-to-day try to deal with it. I wouldn't step lightly around the problem, just be real with how the relationship was going and try to be supportive as much as I can without being drawn in.

Opa Shale wrote:My reaction would be from day-to-day try to deal with it. I wouldn't step lightly around the problem, just be real with how the relationship was going and try to be supportive as much as I can without being drawn in.

Pretty much

Have lots of experience with this. Either way you are wrong. If you do the kid gloves thing, then the person gets upset. If you are straightforward, than your being inconsiderate. Either way you can be seen as not caring.

I am just myself with everyone. I understand that my family has certain issues, but someone with depression is suffering with an ailment that HE/SHE must work on. Whether meds, therapy or both, that is THEIR prob, not mine. Just the same way that you shouldn't enable an alcoholic with booze, you should not enable depressed people by encouraging their behavior

I saw that one of my aunts had a prescription for Phenobarbital. I knew that was a medication used to treat seizures, but I've never knew her to have an issue with seizures. Then I found out that it's also used to treat other mental ailments. Whatever. She still acts to the same to me. I wouldn't treat them differently unless they started acting differently.