Depression is an ugly disease that alters people’s minds; it does not discriminate. Depression causes chemical imbalances in a person’s mind that affect mood. For example, you can be happy one moment and sad the next; these mood changes can happen quickly. If you have a lot of mood swings and it alters your life, I recommend talking to a therapist.   

Please remember that I am not an expert in these matters because I am not a certified therapist or psychiatrist. However, I have good insights into depression and anxiety; I currently live with these things, and my goal is to help others.   

How it Affects Relationships  

Living with depression can be difficult, especially if the other person does not suffer from it or has never suffered. Relationships are tricky, especially romantic ones. A person wants to feel loved and liked and wants attention/affection from their partner. Giving attention to your partner can be a struggle if you are depressed because many things are coming at you at once. When all of these emotions are coming at you, it is best to take a breath and take it in stride. Remember that it takes more energy to get worked up than to be calm.   

From my experiences of being a person with depression in a relationship, I let my partner know how I am feeling and handle my emotions accordingly. Of course, there have been times when I keep my feelings to myself, but I strive to communicate. Communication is vital in any relationship because a person may need you to let them know how you feel. Discourse, another word for communication and language, is key to a solid relationship. Discourse can come in different forms: body language, tone of voice, spoken and written words, images, etc. A good partner can sense when you are not feeling well and may feel inadequate. 

In many cases, a partner may feel sympathy for your sad feelings and absorb them in return. Thinking of reasonable discourse that is not harmful to yourself or others helps mature communication. If I am honest, I believe that you are not exactly mature if you shout out toxic words to people. Sadly, there are times when I may not say the nicest discourse, and I stop myself. Life is all about learning from your mistakes and maturing from them.  

Solid Foundation is Key  

Any relationship needs to be built upon a solid foundation; otherwise, it will crumble and fail. Just like a house should be built upon a solid foundation, so should a relationship. In this case, I am talking about a romantic one. Now, I am not saying that if you are depressed, then you are not solid. Depression is something you will live with for the rest of your life; depression can be managed but not completely wiped away.   

If you are not completely honest with your partner about your depression, then this will cause harm to the relationship. If the person loves you, they will understand and try to help or comfort you. If the person is mean and not understanding, why are you with them? Choose a partner who will be there for you and the best in the worst of times. Thus, a relationship built upon trust, honesty, love, excellent communication, and willingness to help each other is one to contend with.   

(Solid Foundation vs. Crumbling Foundation) (Which will stand the face of time?)  

Say No to Negativity  

Always having a negative outlook on life makes for a bad time, and you should try to be more optimistic. I do not want to tell you how to live your life, but from my experience, being a negative person only leads to more heartache. When I chose the path of optimism, my life became better than I could ever imagine. Why be constantly stuck in the muck when you can swim upon the rivers of happiness? (Sorry for my cheesy sayings, but I can be a dramatic writer 😊).   

Saying NO to negativity is like breathing in fresh air! (Insert cheesy and funny poem below):                              

  My Cat Link and his Yellow Chair  

There once was a love affair   

Between a cat and his yellow chair,  

This love was one-sided  

His heart was misguided,  

As the chair was quite unaware.  

Take a page out of my cat’s book! Always strive for simplicity and find love or happiness in the smallest of moments. Who would’ve thought a cat could love a chair so much? Lol. I like to add a little humor or inspiration to my posts, and the limerick (funny poem) is one of my favorites; I enjoy writing limericks. A healthy dose of laughter and smiles makes for a great battle against depression. Let’s both try to remain steadfast and optimistic in life!   

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