When my bf suffers from depression, he pushes me away. How can I show him support & still give him the space he needs?

This is a tough question to answer because depression manifests itself differently in all people. On a personal level, I also am struggling with a similar situation and am seeking that answer. One of the most important things to note is letting that person know you are there for them and wish them nothing but the best. When they are in a light mood and are capable of discussing it, ask what it is like and directly ask them what makes them feel better when they are in that state of mind and if/how you can contribute. I wish you both the best of luck.

It depends on what kind of person he is. I used to push people away a lot when my depression got really bad, but it wasn’t because I didn’t want them around. I was just afraid of showing people how vulnerable I could be, I was always that kid who didn’t give an f about anything and to me, crying or venting would just show everyone that I could be broken, after all. I really did need someone to comfort me, but I was too afraid to open up. I think letting your boyfriend decide whether he wants you give him some space or not would be a good idea. Tell him that you’re always there if he needs you, and that if he needs some air you’ll be in the next room. I find that when someone pressures you a lot to let everything out and you do, you end up breaking down and they can’t understand what you’re saying anyways. So you can give him a little while to calm down and process everything, and once he’s ready he can come and talk to you. Even when he isn’t in such a bad state, give him little, random reminders that you love him and are there for him. Then he might feel more comfortable opening up when he needs to.

Be There. I fight depression among other things daily, and what help for me when I was in a relationship was when my gf was just there. I didn’t want to talk to anyone, or be around anyone, but couldn’t stand being alone. My gf would completely ignore me and do what ever it was she had plan, but she never left the house, if she even leaves the room. And for me that helped more than someone trying to comfort. I know for me lot of my depression is when I can’t figure why something is happening or going the way it is. So when people keep asking what’s wrong, can I help, or things like this it would just add to my anxiety and sense of lost, that my depression would just get worse. But when she did this it gave me a focus point, help calm down, and it help with feeling of isolation and loneliness. But what it did the most was made me feel normal. I didn’t feel out of place or strange. Which is the complete opposite if I hat to interact with anybody else. I can’t say that what my gf did will work for your bf like it did for me.