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Why do depressed people push loved ones away?

375 Answers
Last Updated: 07/12/2024 at 12:16pm
Why do depressed people push loved ones away?
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Top Rated Answers
lennie
November 25th, 2014 12:19am
I think a depressed person does that Because they love them , and don't feel they are worthy or don't want to "drag them down too"
sereneSunshine20
February 5th, 2016 6:11pm
It is human nature to want to be strong for those you love, when you hurt inside, you don't want those you love to feel like it is their fault, or they are to blame. It is easier, at the time, to remove people you care about
Anonymous
February 10th, 2016 4:37pm
because they think they can harm or hurt them or they maybe disappointing them or they think before they leave us why not leave them first or they think they dont care or cant understand them
zhrahmed297
March 25th, 2016 12:15am
Because they want their personal space clear, so they can have more thinking and cooling time to themselves.
Anonymous
June 5th, 2016 1:05am
Because they feel like a burden. Also.well-meaning loved ones sometimes make it harder because they don't truly understand what the depressed person ins experiencing. Just stick by the person, let them know you're there - and then let them be.
YourFutureBestFriend
October 22nd, 2015 2:58pm
It's just their feelings that make them want to be shut out and alone. Just let them be sad for a while, but when they're done, they'll probably go back to you! :)
EbFlatte
February 3rd, 2016 4:55pm
Because we love them and we don't want them to know we are depressed. We think that they'll see us differently or become depressed themselves if they find out our dark little secret. We are embarrassed and feel that we can't do anything right because we can't even make a real smile. That's why I do it, anyways.
Lovetohelpu
March 26th, 2016 7:32pm
Because they don't want others to get affected by them. Also, they don't want to get hurt by thr loved ones.
fanglife123
April 1st, 2016 2:58pm
They feel that their family can not help them and that there is no need in family. They are sad and dont want to be bothered really.
Anonymous
September 25th, 2015 5:31am
One of the things depression does is make the person apathetic. This makes them push away people they love or people who love them
Anonymous
January 2nd, 2016 1:37pm
Depressions is a dark place where few things make sense. There are voices in your head telling you things you know aren't true but they don't stop. Caring becomes too difficult. You're expected to explain things to the people that are about you and explaining something you don't understand is harder than pushing people away. There is also the fear that these people might judge you and brush away your concerns and that, in itself, is scarier than any other thought.
Anonymous
June 15th, 2020 8:54pm
Depression can cause people to feel unworthy of love and like a burden to everyone in their lives. There is also so much guilt involved because it’s easy to feel like people need you to feel okay, and it’s so easy to feel guilty for not being okay and not wanting to let anyone know. In my own experience, when I felt like a burden to those I loved or guilty because people who loved me were sad that I was sad, I pushed them away because I wanted better for them than for them to feel that way because of me. Thankfully, some of those people were persistent and stuck by me even when I tried to push them away. I know it must’ve been hard for them, but I’m so thankful they did it.
AmityAllecra19
January 6th, 2016 8:44pm
Usually because we feel like we are a burden. Its always painful to see everyone around you being so happy and lively, like everything is in color yet when it comes to you everything is suddenly gray and bleak. Its worse when you realize your loved sometimes have to act like they are walking on egg shells around you and you think start to "maybe if I distanced myself they wouldn't get hurt, they can live their lives without any burden from me". In a depressive mindset we think its the best decision but we aren't seeing the full picture, we aren't seeing that the reality is we're hurting them as much as ourselves
DemetriaJade
January 10th, 2016 12:21am
We might feel as though this is a one person battle, and do not want to put any of it onto loved ones.
struglingtosurvive
January 17th, 2016 7:49am
Its just my opinion but I think one reason could be because we know how much depression hurts and we don't want our loved ones to get hurt as well. We sometimes think its better for them to live without us or that sometimes we think we are going to not be here because of bad choices so we push them away so they can live without us. Its how I feel but of course others will feel differently.
ImaginaryPainting
November 1st, 2016 1:40pm
They do that because they feel like the loved ones won't understand them- the way they feel etc- and also for not hurting them while they experience anger, bad moods or so. Some depressed people may need time for themselves/to be alone, so they might isolate even from the loved ones.
needpeace84
September 12th, 2015 6:08pm
Because it is hard to accept that overwhelming love and caring that you get from them, knowing that you are not giving back only frustration.
Anonymous
September 21st, 2015 5:05pm
They are too caught up in their problems to notice anything else to be honest. Good luck! Hope all works out well!
Anonymous
February 5th, 2016 9:14pm
In my experience it's been because they didn't want to hurt their loved one, and wanted to be a better person for them. When a person doesn't communicate their problems it has an effect on everyone around them, all you can do is let them know that you are there for them. That's what I did.
Anonymous
October 28th, 2015 12:31am
They push people away because they are on a self destruct mode and would rather know they pushed the person away then the person leaving them
Anonymous
February 7th, 2016 5:15pm
Because of distorted thinking that no one can or wants to help or understand. Also because of lack of energy.
marvelousMermaid87
February 28th, 2017 2:17pm
It can be very difficult to experience such strong feelings of sadness. It can present itself as a physical pain or absolute numbness, that can make you too exhausted to speak or interact. People can also feel as though they are a burden to loved ones, and push them away so they don't hurt them.
Anonymous
November 1st, 2015 8:10pm
They feel like people just don't understand them. They think they are alone so they don't think people love them or that anyone is there for them.
GoodVibes8
November 19th, 2015 12:32am
As someone with depression, I can say I've done this. The reason, for me at least, is that it takes a lot of effort to maintain/start a conversation sometimes. Depression causes fatigue in a lot of cases, so many activities (including being around loved ones) can be exhausting for us. I've found that conversations with loved ones about my depression are the hardest, so that could be a reason too. Everybody's different, but those are just some ideas.
beautifulFreedom39
January 8th, 2016 7:10am
When it's hard to find self-worth, and we feel down, being alone can be seen as a comfort. Depression also takes away our motivation. Even if someone with depression would like to go out and see someone, it becomes difficult and seen as a chore.
Anonymous
December 12th, 2015 12:53am
When someone is depressed they are struggling a lot . They will often feel extremely low or sad and unmotivated . They also tend to want more time alone. . This makes it very hard to keep on top of relationships with loved ones . They may either just feel feel too down to be capable of keeping a healthy relationship or they may also push people away to stop these loved ones seing this depression and pain or because they are afraid they will hurt their loved ones in some way or another . Often though , they push people away gradualy and almost subconsciously , without realising they're doing it until It's too late .
becauseimhere
December 19th, 2015 5:48pm
This is a good question and I think that it's important that a lot of people understand the answer to this. From my personal experience, when I am in a bad depressive episode I really don't want people to talk to me. Don't take it personally! It could simply be the way people cope with it and they don't want you to feel like you have to put up with them like that. When I am depressed I feel like a burden to every single person who tries to help me, and this results in me pushing people away. That is one of the worst things I could do but at the time it feels right. I think it's important for you not to take it seriously as it's probably something as simple as them wanting to be alone to cope with their thoughts.
Anonymous
December 28th, 2016 11:07pm
Depressed people often push people away in fear of being hurt or hurting them. Another reason could be that they feel like they are a burden to their loved ones(I can confirm this since i am diagnosed with depression). So if a loved one feels like they burden you, then take the time to reassure them and say you really love them.
Anonymous
January 10th, 2016 10:48am
Its pretty easy. There is simply nothing worse then knowing someone loves you and cares about you when you hate nothing more than yourself. The only thing you know that you are worthless an bad... if sombody acts different to that 'fact' you mind is telling you, it makes you feel terrible because it feels like they are pretending shit or everything you think and know is just wrong
compassionateLion6681
November 9th, 2020 5:22pm
From my experience, when I was at my lowest I pushed away loved ones so I could not hurt them. As much as I told myself that it was for the better, they still got hurt. Sometimes I felt I was disappointing them and that I may rub off on them. I did not want my loved ones to be depressed as well, I would have rather taken on everything. I also thought that they would be less hurt if I passed on. There are a lot of reasons, but these are some I have experienced directly. I hope this helps, best wishes!