What can I do?
As a friend or family member, you can do a lot.
Bearing in mind the information outlined here, you can inform your family member or friend about depression. You can promote the idea of coming to this site to get more information.
You can go with your friend or family member to the doctor and support their treatment.
You can also support your friend/family member by doing what a friend or a family member is used to doing: being near to him/her and listening carefully what he/she says.
This will allow you to do two things: relieve suffering by allowing him/her to talk freely and giving them a sense of being cared for, and getting a clearer picture of what the suffering of your loved one is like. This way you can inform your GP. It may also be helpful to take a test on behalf of your friend/family member, which can be found in the box 'Recognising Depression' on the left side of the page, to get more information.
You are in a unique position to explore suicidal ideas, psychotic/delusional ideas, and their opinions about their treatment.
You can find out more about depression and its treatment in the For All section of this website: