How to tell your boyfriend or girlfriend you have depression?

telling someone that you care about that you have depression can be scary! in my experiences in life, i have found that having a place where it is quiet and you are not going to be distracted or disturbed is a good start. for me, i have always believed that honesty is the best policy. it can be difficult to open up about things such as depression which has a stigma, but with telling your boyfriend or girlfriend, you can also provide them with information, such as how it affects you personally. one good thing you could do is have a brochure that explains more about depression and how it is treated so they can read and review it to understand better. it can also open up the opportunity for more questions between you two. it has been my experience that we all want to be understood by SOMEONE, especially those that we love and that love us back.

It can be super difficult to tell a significant other that we're struggling, but it's good that you decided to reach out! Try deciding what you're going to tell them before you actually talk to them, that way you're prepared and won't have to worry about saying the wrong thing. Answer any questions they may have. Make sure to get good support before and after you have this conversation with them, because it can be pretty difficult to deal with on your own. Remember you've always got a bunch of people on 7cups to support you if you need it!

Be as open and as calm as you can, ensure you feel comfortable to share with them exactly how your feeling and remember they are there to support you and care about you. You could start by saying you want to share something with them, that has been affecting you and you would like them to just listen to you, not judge you and be open to understanding. You could start by listing how you feel or exploring some of the behaviours that have been affected by having depression. Remember to take your time and express exactly how you feel.

Be honest with them. Knowing that you have someone who supports you and is there for you is the greatest feeling. The one thing that is dependent is how they react towards it. If he or she can't help you and aren't there for you then you should start looking for a person who does care. Write to them little by little. Show them who you really are and how you are feeling the majority of the time :) There is no "right" way to tell them. There is no "good" time. You just need to be honest with how you feel, and you have to trust them to listen to you and help you through it. It's not as scary as you think. They're your best friend, right? They'll accept you no matter what.