Depression is like any other critical illness and makes a man crippled and to miss the productivity and as well as his or her daily routine inturn causing a damage to the family and society.

In a family they notice the depression of their loved one only when it is shown outside in its chronic form or when totally the loved one is crippled to certain extent that it makes him or her difficult to bounce back on their own.

Now when we look into the role of family a valuable time spent with them in understanding the base cause for the problem, helping in solving the problem or at most of the times just a simple hope that WE ARE THERE FOR YOU does a lot of change in depressive people, giving them a hope to keep moving in life. Talking about the causative factor , if the cause cannot be resolved diverting them from the situation or place showing them life of various regions, Peoples, new places, different cultures and spirituality plays a pivotal role in understanding their own life or problems and to change their thoughts and help them to come out of depression with very few medications.

Taking care of the loved one is the sole responsibility of the family members, rather than blaming them and exposing them to the lifestyle and people and surrounding which they don’t like will trigger the problem.

A depressive patient should always be surrounded by positive people whom they like rather than leaving them alone. Depressive people are those who want to live a better live what they have expected. Just find out their expectation ,talk with them , don’t put them down or ignore them as a family member because of intolerance or busy schedule.

Though the family member can know what kind of pain a depressive patient is undergoing but he or she cannot undergo the same pain that a depressive is suffering. Hence rather than advicing a depressive patient just console and give a hope which is very much essential. Hence the role of family member is very critical in curing depressive patients at the root level rather than just medicines.

Let us talk about when to opt for medical invervention and symptoms of depression and an integrated system of medicine for recovery from depression in next blog.

Dr. Radhika Vengadesh
BAMS, PG Diploma in Mental Health
Senior medical officer
Saigram ayurveda hospital and research institute