When your boyfriend or girlfriend is depressed, they can sometimes become quite codependent. That can create tension in the relationship, when you feel trapped. How do you handle that?

If you want to get out of the house, your significant other might put up some resistance. As they become more and more dependant on you, they will look to you for support. They need to look to themselves, so getting away from them is important.

In order to leave the house, the best thing to do is start with planning an event. Plan something that you can do, which you will enjoy but (especially if it is one of the first couple of times) that your partner might not be interested in.

Making sure that you tell them about the plans in advance so they dont feel like this is a surprise, head out and have a good time. Make sure that they know this is not a first step towards abandonment. After that, go have fun. Relax for a few hours. You need time to recharge yourself.

When you get home, prepare for questions. You can answer them if you like, or not. The important thing to do is to reassure your partner without causing yourself to feel like you have to justify yourself. You need to be able to go out without feeling stress mount.