Why do depressed people push loved ones away?

I think they do because of different reasons. Sometimes they dont want to hurt the people they love... dont want to scare them away. Or they dont want to be left so they leave to make it easier for both sides.. even though the 'loved one' wants to stay with that person no matter if they are depressed or not.

Depressed people have a tendency to feel a deep guilt for not being the person they think their family needs them to be. They don't feel like they deserve to be loved.

It's often a defense mechanism because the mind of a depressed person they do it to protect themselves from being hurt by others. Having depression already makes one feel low enough as-is, and to prevent external factors from being an additional cause, pushing people away is a way to cope.

depressed people push loved ones away because they are afraid of getting too close and keep losing the ones they care about and going through the pain

Depressed people often feel as though they aren't understood. They push people out of their lives, even their loved ones, because they don't feel as though these people care or understand what they're going through, so they isolate themselves.

Depression is a very isolating illness. The person will feel like they don't want to talk to anyone and withdrawn. They will also feel like they don't want to bug others or depress them. They may feel like a pest or guilty for feeling bad. Oftentimes, depression takes a toll on self-care too, which can make a depressed person even more self-conscious when trying to talk to people. Depression also saps a person's energy and concentration ability, making it difficult to make an effort in conversation and be able to focus on the person. Depression can also cause a person to feel apathetic and like they can't enjoy things like before, like conversations. There's an element of shame too. All of these can cause depressed people to push people away, even loved ones. But, don't be fooled by their pushing away behavior, depressed people need the most support from others in order to get better. Otherwise, they may turn to addictions or become self-harming.

They don't mean too. Sometimes the feelings of worthlessness, guilt and hopelessness (among some), are what makes people push loved ones away. The thoughts of "im a downer", "they must hate hanging out with a downer", or more severe "no one loves me or cares, I want to just...", among the "Im not worth it" and "I feel so guilty I cant get out of...". Depressed people need loved ones more than ever when they start pushing you away. They need people to be there with them to just listen. No advice or well meaning platitudes. Maybe a little bit of guidance to seek more help if necessary.

Every depressed person is diffterent, as they are still individuals. To share my own experiences refractory depression and multiple co-morbidities and metabolic issues let me state the following: As some have mentioned I have pushed people away because I did not feel worth their time. I believed I would be a burden to them. At other times, I have felt completely worthless and yet desperately wanted someone to break down my barriers and show me I really have value. So I pushed everyone away, hoping someone would push back. I also suffer from PTSD and Agoraphobia type II (congenital structural not learned) along with anxiety attacks. I am an introvert so sometimes I pushed people away because I could not bear being around people. This was especially true when the people represented groups or authority figures that might demand I step back into public light. Going back to the 2nd reason, I also at times wanted someone strong enough to let me rest in their protection, so they needed to be stronger than me, again so I pushyed people away. There you have 4 different examples of how I pushed people away, can I say your boyfriend is thinking along any of those lines? No. But you can also ask yourself this: If I fight to sdtsnd beside him, and he rejects me, is it any worse than if I leave when he forces everyone else away for me?

Simply because depressed people have been hurt multiple times. They've gotten to close to people and then they rely on them and tragically, that person makes them feel worthless. Depressed people want to be safe and loved truly. But they've been hurt for so long, they don't know how to love anymore.

Depressed people push loved ones away because they feel as if their not good enough for anyone around them.