Hi and welcome. I’ve added a trigger warning to your thread - it’s nothing to worry about, it just ensures any of our members who may struggle with some of the things you’re talking about can be informed about the nature of some of the topics.

Thank you for coming here. Just the fact you’re making the effort to find out how to help is amazing. By listening to your partner and talking to him about his options will already be helping him. You’re right, he does need to see a doctor for diagnosis and so he can access any suitable treatment options but many people in his situation resist going to their doctor. Often this is down to a combination of not wanting to admit there’s a problem and not wanting to talk to a stranger about something so personal. If he’s tried to get help before and got nowhere that’s not going to encourage him either. Magies right, giving some written notes to a doctor (whether yours or your partners) can help get over the not wanting to talk. If you can persuade him to make an appointment, ring the surgery first and ask if they have a doctor that specialises in mental health.

He is scared, and that’s normal, but depression affects 1 in 4 of us so he’s not the first person to feel that way and he’s not the first to ask for help. I want to reassure you, as well as him, of that fact. There are ways through this and just having someone as committed to your relationship as you are is going to help him so much