How do you help someone who goes through depression in prison, he would never admit to it, any ideas would be helpful:confused:

I make sure when my husband is down that I write lots and lots and try to mail a letter every day. I send him goofy stuff off the internet..stories and jokes.

I also find lots of stuff on the net about his interests and send it.

Mainly, just try to be as supportive as you can. My husband refuses to live in the now. He does what he has to do to get by, but he lives in the future. Sometimes I write to him about someplace he has never been before, but I plan to take him when he's home. I describe the place and tell him what we will do while there. Recently, I took him thru a park and lighthouse museum that's near to me. He loved that. I do these along the lines of what the newsletter has done when members have shown us parts of Europe.

mrs. d

Talk him into joining something or working out while he's in there...Working out or running creates natural endorphins and thus a positive mood....Having a garden in there or joining the baseball team etc... gets them out of themselves...

Deb

James would get depressed sometimes and when he did I wrote to him at least once a day and added lots of interesting things in my letters. I started a chess game between us threw the mail. And a whole bunch of other things. Actually I'm going to put some of those things on my web page at some point, ideas on who to keep them busy and entertained. Its one of the worse places in the world to get depressed and Im sure there isnt a man in prison that doesnt go threw it. But having loved ones on the outside to make that extra effort usually makes the world of difference. Hang in there and use your imagination, keep it positive and you will help him threw.

Witchlinblue

Hey there countrygirl, I updated my web page and put some ideas in there that might interest you. I left a link on the main page in red so you can get to it easier. I would really like to get a nice big collection of ideas to post there. Sort of like a recipe exchange but instead a keep your loved one from boredom idea exchange. So I have a link on that page you can just click to send ideas to me and I will post them. Let me know if I can put your name.
Hang in there Countrygirl.

Witchlinblue

I agree with everyone above, letters do seem to really help Jerry to keep going through each day with a posotive attitude. MrsD, you have some great ideas! :)

When my husband went through this, I just wrote lots of letters...and tried to send as many things as I could that would make him laugh.

Deb had a great point to...cause once my husband joined the softball team, and basketball team, he did start to feel better.

MY GUY LIKES CROSSWORD PUZZLES SO I SEND HIM THE PAGES OUT OF CROSSWORD PUZZLE BOOKS ALL THE TIME. I SEND JOKES, CARTOONS, I MAKE GOOFY STUFF, I DRAW HEARTS WITH OUR NAMES IN IT, I LOOK ON INTERNET FOR STUFF, POEMS, THINGS FROM PTO, STICKERS, LETTERS, MORE LETTERS, CARDS, I'M JUST LOOKING ALL THE TIME FOR SOMETHING! DEPRESSION IS A HARD ONE TO DEAL WITH FOR BOTH OF US!

Thanks to all of you guys, you've given me alot of good ideas I'll be seeing him this weekend and will be able to see for myself how he is doing, believe it or not this will be the first time I've been able to see him since he's been in and that is since Nov 14 I write but things have been tough I've been out of work on medical and he worries about me and I worry about him. And now today I found out my mom had a heart attack. Everything is just a mess here sorry it took me so long to reply.

you sure do have a lot on your plate, well I will say a prayer for you and you know you two just getting to see each other will make things seem better Im sure. Im very sorry to hear about your mum, I hope she is doing better. Just hang in there and try to be strong and look after yourself.

Lots of prayers and hugs,

Witchlinblue

Witchlinblue: you can put my name I seen alot of good ideas, it might help to keep some romance in there to we're both romantics, I'll take all the prayers and hugs I can get