How can I stop letting my depression make me feel like a burden to others?

You are responsible for your own feelings, not the feelings of others. This is a difficult lesson to grasp and learn, but it's incredibly valuable. If other people are burdened by your depression, try to not blame yourself. Depression is hard enough as it is, focus on getting better and surround yourself with people who will support you in the journey to healing.

You can't stop it until you recognize that your feelings are not always reflective of the truth. Feeling like a burden does not make you one. Depression is the burden in this scenario, not you. You cannot give someone your feelings and depression, you can merely share them. It is their choice to help carry the load, and often, they may ask you to help carry their load. Neither of you are the burden- you are both the support.

Try and find things you bring to the table in a given relationship. I'm a great baker, and so I try to make treats for others. I'm also a great listener, so here I am on this site, trying to help others, even while I fight my own battles!

It can be tough, but you must realize that those others, the ones you care about, care about you too. If you are feeling down they will want to help you. You are not a burden. You are their friend.

Know that you are important to so many people, including myself. I want you to be safe and happy. You are worth so much more than you can even imagine. People care about you.

You need to understand that even though it feels like it, you are not a burden. You have a mental disorder that you are working through and you are in no way a burden because of it. Try talking to someone you trust about your concerns.

You are not your illness; learn this (I'm working on learning this, too). So even if your depression's a burden on others, you certainly aren't. You can help others, you can help yourself, you can contribute to your world and to your community, friends, family, etc. even when you have a depression that might demand a lot from other people. Again, you are not your illness, so even if depression is a burden, you certainly are not. People appreciate you and benefit from your existence (if you doubt this, go ahead & do something nice today to counter that). Depression may be your burden to bear, but you will never be a burden. (Lastly, surround yourself with positive, supportive, loving people if you can, because they can remind you of how much they want to support you.) Now go prove your depression wrong -- I believe in you!

You have to show yourself some compassion and try to refrain from negative and critical self-talk. Understand that you are very much in your own feelings and projecting your feelings onto others. They most likely do not feel as if you are a burden.

One of the things about depression is that, it tends to make you feel like it should be your issue and your issue alone; that's just not true, however. Often times people enjoy your company, depressed or not. I've found that there is no such things as "friends out of being morally obliged". If someone is your friend and seems to actually enjoy you being with them, then I guarantee you are no form of burden.

dont ever think your depression is a burden to others. the real burden is when someone makes you feel like it is your fault, which it isnt. asking for help or advice is the best thing you can do to help yourself feel better sometimes. sometimes the key to overcoming depression is to just talk to someone you love. if you feel you are really burdening the people around you, maybe a therapist would be beneficial to you. best of luck!