Welcome to Beyond Blue forums JustMe!
I'm really glad you've visited because so many people who love someone with depression struggle with confusion and feelings of not being able to help or that they should be doing more when their loved one is suffering.
That numbness your girlfriend describes is one of the crappy things about depression. Personally, I think it's a self protection where we've felt horrible for so long, the only way to escape it is to turn down the dial on our emotions - it seems to happen automatically.
It's awesome that your girlfriend has identified it and even more awesome that she has shared with you how she is feeling. That's a healthy thing! A lot of the time when we are depressed, we close off and don't express our feelings.
There's some great information on the site here about depression and info especially written for people who love someone with depression/anxiety.
In the links below under "For me" is "Friends and family" I think you'll find some great information there and also some tips on keeping yourself healthy because it can be pretty emotional looking after or loving someone who has depression.
One tip for your girlfriend - It would be great if she was mindful of not bashing herself up or blaming herself for feeling numb. It's OK to feel numb. If it is bothering her, perhaps a visit to her Dr would help.
Take care JustMe
Stay in touch and let us know how your girlfriend is feeling and if you need to talk about how you feel, we're here to help!
Paul
