Why do depressed people push loved ones away?

This is not a conscious choice, and we need to remember that depression can be just as hard to deal with when you are a loved one trying to support somebody as it can be to deal with depression. Those who suffer depression can lose the forest for the trees, as it were, and they have so much to worry about that it can be easy to not realise how strained relationships can get. Loved ones, in turn, don't always realise just how depression can manifest itself and what behaviour it can lead to, and especially if they have never had depression themselves, there can be a frustrating lack of understanding between both parties. No person who is depressed actively tries to push people away with a conscious intention to be vindictive or cruel, but often the stress of trying to manage relationships and deal with frequent misunderstandings by both parties can result in them trying to shut themselves away, rather than push other people out.

Look at depression as a plague of the mind/body. It needs the body and mind to be alone for it to take full control of you. Having close relationships deters it from accomplishing it's goal of the disease, self destruction. So, depression cuts ties with your loved ones because it needs you to be alone and weak. It's not the person purposely doing it, it's the disease telling them they need to by making them paranoid or angry. That's just how it makes sense to me.

Depression is truly a struggle, filled with moments of self-doubt, hopelessness, and cynicism. Depressed patients sometimes don't want to spill over their emotions onto the people they care about. Other times, they're embarrassed about what they're going through, which makes them feel isolated.

Perhaps they're afraid to hurt or be hurt. They just feel like being alone all the time, cause it's easier that way. They won't get attached to people. And also, there is no chance they'll be betrayed (again).

Because depressed people are so appalled/ down and well "depressed" by their own situation and how they're feeling that they 1. don't think they deserve to be close with anybody else, and 2. that they don't feel capable (at the moment) of handling a close relationship with another person. Hence, the keep pushing everyone away (even if those people want to help you get better). This is from personal experience.

People with depression often push loved ones away because they find it hard to love themselves. Learn to love yourself again and you will find it easier to love another.

A side effect of depression is isolation, or the want of being alone. So sometimes, when we're sad, we think that we should be alone, so we push others away. An obstacle of depression is learning how to let people back in.

I think it's because they like to try and test if people really do care about them, if anyone would stay and comfort them despite being pushed away. Because no feeling is more pleasurable than knowing that someone cares and love you.

Often depressed people push loved ones away because they lose a little bit of themselves in the battle they are fighting with depression. It can be hard to force a smile and often it can be easier to be "alone" when you are depressed. People sometimes develop an attitude of "nobody cares" or "I don't want to bother them" and so isolate themselves from others.