My boyfriend is depressed. How do I help?

[freezingspark]

Hi All,

For a month or so, my boyfriend has become really distant. Barely talking to me and definitely not laughing with me. He would also snap at me about tiny things. I was getting really angry and confused about what I had done. In my head, I was thinking I couldn't live with him for much longer like this and then he completely forgot about Valentine's Day yesterday...

I'm not a huge one for V day but I've always asked for a card and he just completely forgot. I started to cry and then he also broke down and told me how he had been feeling really down for a couple of months. He doesn't know why but said he really didn't like seeing people anymore and just wanted to come home after work and sleep because that was a way to not think about being down. To me, it sounds like he's depressed.

I tried to ask if he could pinpoint what made him happy and down but he didn't know.

I didn't really know what to say but thought that him admitting it was probably a good first step. I suggested he talk to his dad (they're really close) and/or someone professionally.

I'm really not sure how to support him as I worry that I might not be helping and I think he needs to leave London (where we live) to feel better.

If anyone has any advice for him and also for how I can help, I would be really grateful

[MAS_Nurse]

Hello freezingspark, you may well be right! If you can suggest to your boyfriend that may a visit to his GP might be a good idea to have a chat about things. I know, men are notorious for toughing it out and not going to see a doctor. Mental health/illness unfortunately still carries quite a stigma in Society, although celebrities like Stephen Fry and the Princes William and Harry, are dispelling the stigma and getting it talked about in the public domain. But it does sound like he needs some professional help. Maybe take a look at these links and see if they offer you some suggestions to help him:

mind.org.uk/information-sup...

Hope this helps. Has anyone else here got any suggestions?

Take care.