HomeBlogPatientThe Role of the Caregiver: Making the Difference for Someone with Depression The Role of the Caregiver: Making the Difference for Someone with Depression February 15, 2021Patient Mark Pollack, MD, chief medical officer of Myriad Neuroscience, maker of the GeneSight test, shares his thoughts on how to be a good caregiver to someone with depression. Dr. Pollack has served as chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Rush University Medical Center and director of its Mental Health Service Line. Dr. Pollack was director of the Center for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Disorders at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. He has served as president of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America and former chairman of its Scientific Advisory Board. Living with and caring for family members with depression is a large – and largely thankless – job. The addition of pandemic-related working and schooling from home has made the burden nearly unmanageable. Yet, your support can make all the difference. There are so many people who struggle alone, whose loved ones are not available or willing to help. In my experience, one of the best ways to help is by being informed. Get Help, Keep Talking, Self Care Caregiving is not easy – and it’s especially not easy when the person you are caring for has depression. We shared a post on the GeneSight website that included this sentiment that may be all too familiar for caregivers: “…unfortunately, we live in a world where if you break a bone, everyone comes to sign the cast. But if you tell people you are depressed, they run the other way.” Depression does not just impact the person struggling. Everyone around them may be affected. What I have learned in my many years of working to end depression is that persistence is key. Most people who are struggling with depression do not have the energy to find the help they need. It falls to caregivers, loved ones, to those who care enough. Here are three pieces of advice that I hope will be helpful for caregivers. Get Help There are so many barriers to access to mental health care: insurance, availability of practitioners, finding medication that helps – not hurts – your loved one. Further, stigma is a real issue for many people – of different cultures, ethnicities, and religious influence. For an older generation that was taught to keep a stiff upper lip, it is even more ingrained. In fact, in late 2020, the GeneSight® Mental Health Monitor, a nationwide poll, showed that nearly two-thirds (61%) of Americans age 65 or older who have concerns about having depression will not seek treatment. In fact, nearly 1 in 3 (33%) seniors who are concerned they might be suffering from depression believe they can “snap out” of it on their own. The ‘pull yourself up by your bootstraps’ mindset of some seniors and reluctance to talk about mental health are hindering them from getting the help they need. People will seek treatment for conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes. Depression is no different. It is an illness that can and should be treated. Keep Talking It can be awkward to always bring up someone else’s mental health but it’s important. It’s particularly difficult to talk about suicide, yet it’s important. People often feel like they are a burden, whether they are young or old. They feel like the world and their family would be better off without them. It weighs on them. Help them to articulate it. Patience, compassion and active listening can help. For some individuals talking to them about feeling “stressed” as opposed to “depressed” will be less likely to engender defensiveness or denial. Similarly, talking to or encouraging them to talk with their clinician about their depression symptoms, may be more acceptable. Take Care of Yourself Just because you are filling this incredibly important role of caregiver does not mean you should neglect your own mental health. In fact, you will not be as effective a caregiver if you do NOT address your own needs. Our articles are for informational purposes only and are reviewed by our Medical Information team, which includes PharmDs, MDs, and PhDs. Do not make any changes to your current medications or dosing without consulting your healthcare provider. The GeneSight test must be ordered by and used only in consultation with a healthcare provider who can prescribe medications. As with all genetic tests, the GeneSight test results have limitations and do not constitute medical advice. The test results are designed to be just one part of a larger, complete patient assessment, which would include proper diagnosis and consideration of your medical history, other medications you may be taking, your family history, and other factors. If you are a healthcare provider and interested in learning more about the GeneSight test, please contact us at 855.891.9415. If you are a patient, please talk with your doctor to see if the GeneSight test may be helpful. Patient 3 million patients (and counting!) have now taken the GeneSight test! We’re thrilled to share that 3 million patients (and counting!) have now taken the GeneSight test! We're so grateful to the dedicated healthcare providers who... Read more Patient The Model Minority Myth and Mental Health The model minority myth stereotypes one cultural group, typically Asian Americans, as “intelligent, hard-working, and diligent and therefore more academically, ... 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Read more Patient Anxiety and older adults: What to look for and how to help “It’s not how old you are. It’s how you are, old.” - French author Jules Renard Mental health is important at every age. But when people experience an a... Read more Patient Adult ADHD: Symptoms, treatment, where to start Many people may incorrectly think ADHD, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, only impacts children. After all, according to the Centers for Disease C... Read more Healthcare Provider It’s time to talk suicide: addressing stigma around a difficult topic Trigger Warning: This webinar discusses suicide. If you or someone you know has suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. ... Read more Patient Stress Relief Methods for Family Caregivers Caring for a loved one can be a rewarding and meaningful experience. However, the day in and day out of taking care of someone who is unwell also can be challen... Read more Healthcare Provider Healthcare Professional Burnout and Links to Depression When Dr. Lorna Breen, an ER doc in Manhattan, died by suicide in April 2020, it opened up a public discussion about the burdens faced by healthcare professi... Read more Healthcare Provider Antidepressant Withdrawal or Depression Reoccurrence? What Healthcare Providers Should Know People who stop taking antidepressants may do so for many reasons: they may feel like it isn’t working, may feel unable to cope with side effects, or may not fe... Read more Learn more Learn more about GeneSight How to talk to your provider View our clinical studies
Patient 3 million patients (and counting!) have now taken the GeneSight test! We’re thrilled to share that 3 million patients (and counting!) have now taken the GeneSight test! We're so grateful to the dedicated healthcare providers who... Read more
Patient The Model Minority Myth and Mental Health The model minority myth stereotypes one cultural group, typically Asian Americans, as “intelligent, hard-working, and diligent and therefore more academically, ... Read more
Healthcare Provider How Clinicians Can Help Support Their Patients Who Are Being Bullied How Clinicians Can Help Support Their Patients Who Are Being Bullied Acts of bullying can cause feelings of fear, loneliness and sadness, as well as depressi... Read more
Patient Cyberbullying: Unique Challenges and Impacts ‘We lost our daughter to cyberbullying.’ McKenna Brown was an accomplished hockey player and scholar, known for her kindness, when she became the target of int... Read more
Going Beyond Green, Yellow, Red on the GeneSight Report This blog summarizes key points discussed during the March 2024 GeneSight® Engage webinar Participants: Bernie Ranchero, MD, MS, MBA, medical direc... Read more
Healthcare Provider Top 5 Reasons Patients Stop Their Mood Disorder Treatment Mood disorder treatment for depression can be challenging – and patients may become frustrated when treatments don’t work. In fact, when people with depres... Read more
Patient The Impact of Gratitude on Depression and Anxiety “Say ‘Thank you,” a mother reminds her young kiddo. “T.G.I.F.!” we cheer at the end of a long week. We know it’s important to be thankful. But do we ... Read more
Patient The Silent Thief: The 5 Things Depression Can Steal “Depression is a thief,” writes Abhinav Chaurasia, a marketing automation specialist in an essay on LinkedIn. “It steals your joy, your motivation, and your abi... Read more
Patient How to Talk to Your Doctor about Anxiety Medication “When I was 27, I felt bad all the time,” writes Joanna Goddard on the popular Cup of Jo blog. She describes her initial experience with anxiety in detail. ... Read more
Healthcare Provider Building Trust by Reducing Bias: The GeneSight Test as a Tool for Mental Health Equity This blog summarizes key points discussed during Myriad Mental Health’s July 2022 Webinar: Building Trust by Reducing Bias: The GeneSight Test as a Tool for Men... Read more
Patient Anxiety and older adults: What to look for and how to help “It’s not how old you are. It’s how you are, old.” - French author Jules Renard Mental health is important at every age. But when people experience an a... Read more
Patient Adult ADHD: Symptoms, treatment, where to start Many people may incorrectly think ADHD, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, only impacts children. After all, according to the Centers for Disease C... Read more
Healthcare Provider It’s time to talk suicide: addressing stigma around a difficult topic Trigger Warning: This webinar discusses suicide. If you or someone you know has suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. ... Read more
Patient Stress Relief Methods for Family Caregivers Caring for a loved one can be a rewarding and meaningful experience. However, the day in and day out of taking care of someone who is unwell also can be challen... Read more
Healthcare Provider Healthcare Professional Burnout and Links to Depression When Dr. Lorna Breen, an ER doc in Manhattan, died by suicide in April 2020, it opened up a public discussion about the burdens faced by healthcare professi... Read more
Healthcare Provider Antidepressant Withdrawal or Depression Reoccurrence? What Healthcare Providers Should Know People who stop taking antidepressants may do so for many reasons: they may feel like it isn’t working, may feel unable to cope with side effects, or may not fe... Read more