 [ Symptoms ] how do you help someone understand depression when they do not belive depression exists  i have suffered from depression on and off through the years diagnosed with clinical depression at age 12 i have been having a difficult time lately and have recently started taking an antidepressant my husband does not believe or understand anything about depression he thinks you should be able to just shake it off and move on how do i get him to understand that depression is real and i need his support to get better [ Disease ] i am sorry you are going through this i mean both the depressive episode and the lack of support from your husband it is surprising how many people do not believe depression or any other mental health issue is a valid diagnosis but believe me i have encountered many such people it is possible your husband dismisses depression as a diagnosis because he is never or rarely dealt with it himself for unknown reasons depression strikes women much more frequently than men a couple of thoughts come to mind first is to take your husband with you to your doctor so he or she can explain depression to your husband or take your husband to see your psychotherapist for an explanation maybe this will help sway him to understanding meanwhile i invite you to connect with others in webmd is depression community and support group these folks are dealing with many of the same issues you are and they may have suggestions for you at the very least you may feel comforted being able to discuss these issues in a safe environment i wish you all the best