Being someone that suffers from chronic pain AND depression, I have found it difficult to date someone that's understanding of it all.
Here are a few tips on how to date someone that is in chronic pain and suffers from depression:
1. If he/she says she is hurting that day, don't tell them to just "push thru it". If we could, we would.
2. When we are in an especially depressed mood, there isn't anything you can do to fix it. Just be there when we are ready to talk or just for a hug.
3. Don't get mad at us if we have to cancel plans, we feel bad enough as it is.
4. Unless you suffer from chronic pain and/or depression, you don't understand, so don't tell us you do.
5. On depressed days we may not be overly affectionate, but that doesn't mean we are upset with you.
We don't know why we are feeling the way we feel, so just give us a hug and a kiss and be there if we want to talk.
6. Sometimes we just want to be alone. It has nothing to do with you and is meant as no offense to you.
So please just let us be alone when we need it, without a guilt trip.
Dating someone with chronic pain and/or depression is hard enough, so dating someone with both is nearly impossible.
Don't try to change them. Don't tell them that all they need to do is "be happy" and the depression will go away.
If you want to be with this person, be patient and just love them for who they are.