Not sure this is in the right section. How do you make your loved ones come close to understanding what it's like to be depressed and the impact it has on your life?

Over the past few days my depression has worsened to the point where I have been spending more time in bed and really am struggling to get things done. My husband has never experienced depression. Quite the opposite, he is very cheerful, outgoing and a bundle of energy/activity (when we met I was stable and very active).

I think he is frustrated that I haven't gotten some things done around the house recently. How do I make him understand that it is the depression and not really me? I am worried my depression, and now coupled with my chronic migraines, is going to affect our marriage. We have been dealing with my depression for more than 2 years now.

[kaliope]

would he be willing to go speak with your t or pdoc so they could educate him about what you are going thru? maybe write out a letter explaining how depression makes him feel and your fears about how it will affect the marriage?

[eeyorestail]

Would your husband be willing to read a book? I got this one for mine:

How You Can Survive When They're Depressed

Thanks for these tips you guys. I think I will bring up the subject with him. I have never actually asked him how he feels about coping with my depression, and now my migraines.

[Fizzyo]

I came across a good article on line which I made my husband read, sorry I can't remember where to find it but I searched something like

Possible trigger:

why do I want to live

It might also help to ask him for priorities for these joined discuss yours and agree goals to set yourself each day that are manageable,e.g. One task for one day as thinking of everything is overwhelming and if you do one thing you can praise yourself for that achievement. I hope he can learn to accept you as you are even if he can't understand. It is impossible to fully understand depression if you haven't had to live with it.

[Fuzzybear]