Depressed Daughter Who Won't Accept Help

Thank you for your question. First, I think it is important to point out that if your daughter is a danger to herself or others, you could have her involuntarily committed to a psychiatric ward. I know this seems harsh but it is for her own protection. If she is not suicidal but the depression continues, you could try talking to her family doctor. If she doesn't have a family doctor, I would continue to encourage her to get help. Let her know that you will support her, are there to listen to her problems and can help her so she is not so overwhelmed. You can also encourage other family members to talk to her about getting psychiatric treatment. You could even have a family intervention where family members tell her how her depression concerns them, how it effects her quality of life and how it effects your whole family.

Perhaps she doesn't realize or believe that depression is a treatable disorder. If that is the case, you could try presenting her with information about depression that shows that it is treatable. Try these websites for information on depression: NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health), PsychCentral and MayoClinic. Point out to her that many people suffer from depression symptoms and get better.

Since so many people use social media today, this may be another way to reach out to her. There are many Facebook pages and groups that post valuable information on depression. You could send her pages or posts that you think might help her or even just inspirational or motivational posts to show her there is hope. You could also try buying her a self-help book about depression. Here is a link for information on books about depression. If she read more about depression and tried some techniques that are known to work, she may see some improvement and be more willing to get treatment.

I hope this helps answer your question and your daughter gets the treatment she needs.