Hi there,

Family support definitely DOES exist, but it requires effort from both the person and their family. (The person must work to educate the family on the illness, and the family must work to understand the illness).

Personally, it was easy for me to receive family support because my family has a history of mental illness, so we can all relate.

What helped my family to understand my situation was to include them in a couple of my meetings with my pdoc, so the pdoc could explain what I was going through and why it was important for me to receive support. I think people are more likely to listen if they're talked to by a professional, so including a doctor in the explaining DEFINITELY helps.

Depression is a difficult illness for people to understand, especially those who haven't personally struggled with it. Probably part of this is due to the stigma (ie, depression = laziness). So be sure to explain that these common opinions of depression are NOT true, it's usually a chemical imbalance, and often requires medication to treat. It's a serious illness, just like anything physical.

And also remember that it might take time for your family to understand how difficult depression is. Patience is key. I wish you the best of luck in trying to obtain family support.