Depression can wreak havoc in the family and it will change the family dynamic in a big way. When a child comes home from school, they want a parent’s attention, but a depressed parent will be off in their own world, unable to give the child the attention they so desire. A spouse needs the attention of the affected partner after months or years of living with someone who doesn’t even resemble the person they married. With no end in sight, the caregiver begins to feel like there is no way out from under the endless dark cloud. Additionally, if the partner is clearly suicidal, they need to be “babysat” 24/7, and even then you can’t prevent a person from trying to take his life. Your whole being, socially, personally and emotionally is challenged to keep the other alive. In our case, it didn’t matter what Emme gave up or did to ensure that Phil did not take his life because he tried to take his life anyway! We both firmly believe that professional help is a necessity so realizing that there is a problem and seeking help as fast as possible is the key. You just can’t wish it away and it can be very isolating because friends and family who are not familiar with depression will encourage you to perform the impossible and just snap out of it. Imagine being incapable of saving your child from a burning house because you are severely depressed and are therefore frozen, immobile and unable to react. Unbelievable, but true. So the caregiver also becomes the sole provider of emotional and physical support to the family. In our case, Emme was the emotional, physical and financial support for our family. Extremely stressful.