People who suffer from depression are hard to get angry with. They're so low and so fragile that you're afraid that saying anything negative to them is going to send them right over the edge. Well, there is a way to treat a person who is depressed without necessarily being cruel. Tough love, to a certain degree, is the order of the day. Below are just a few tips on how to deal with somebody who is depressed. It is not advised to try these things with somebody who is severely depressed to the point where they can no longer function.

The first thing you have to do is make sure the person gets out of bed. This is one of the major signs of somebody who is depressed. They sleep very late in the morning and take frequent naps during the day. If you're living with somebody who is depressed, lay down some ground rules for wake up time. Agree on a time that is reasonable. If the person doesn't have a job to go to, make this a time where the whole morning isn't shot by the time they do get out of bed. Use your judgment on this.

Another thing you have to do is make sure that the person does what they need to do during the day. If they do have a job, even a part time job, make sure they get to that job each day. How well they perform on the job is another issue, but make it absolutely clear that no matter how bad they feel, they can't come home until their work day is over.

Another thing you have to do is make sure the person does their chores around the house. If you expect the person to make his own bed, clean certain rooms, take out the garbage, or whatever, make sure they do it. It doesn't matter how small the chore is. People who are depressed will have trouble even taking out the garbage. Do not allow them to shirk their responsibilities, no matter how much they may want to.

Another thing you have to do is make sure they eat regularly. Many times, people who are depressed stop eating regular meals or eat sporadically. Make sure you keep them on a regular eating schedule, even if you have to cook for them. Let them know under no uncertain terms that there is a regular dinner time each night and they are expected to be at the dinner table at that time.

You also want to make sure they get plenty of exercise. The last thing you want to allow them to do is sit around watching TV, or worse, just sitting around and staring into space. You can allow for some recreational time, but you can't allow just sitting around to be a major part of the day. In general, you want to make sure they lead as normal a life as possible.

Part of treating depression is not letting the depressed person sink deeper into one. By keeping them busy and leading as normal a life as possible, this can be easier to accomplish.