How can I help friends or family members who have a mood disorder?
There are many ways you can support others with depression and bipolar disorder. Most importantly, encourage them to get treatment and follow their physician’s instructions. Learn all you can about the illness and its treatment so that you can be as supportive as possible. Constantly let your friends or family members know that you care about them. Their self-esteem may be so low that it is difficult for them to believe that they matter to anyone. You may have difficulty because people with mood disorders are not always easy to be around and may even reject those closest to them. You should not take this personally; it is just another indication of how bad they feel most of the time. Do not treat them as invalids; it is important for them to be as self-sufficient as possible. Reassure them that the success of their treatment can only have a positive effect on their future.
