Living with depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder
August 2008
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Stories of depression
Does this sound like you?
 

Have you read these?

 

Are you feeling really sad, tired, and worried most of the time?
Are these feelings lasting more than a few days?
If yes, you may have depression.

Brenda's story:

"It was really hard to get out of bed in the morning. I just wanted to hide under the covers and not talk to anyone. I didn't feel much like eating and I lost a lot of weight. Nothing seemed fun anymore. I was tired all the time, yet I wasn't sleeping well at night. But I knew that I had to keep going because I've got kids and a job. It just felt so impossible, like nothing was going to change or get better.

"I started missing days from work, and a friend noticed that something wasn't right. She talked to me about the time that she had been really depressed and had gotten help from her doctor.

"I called my doctor and talked about how I was feeling. She had me come in for a checkup and gave me the name of a psychiatrist, who is an expert in treating depression.

"Now, I'm seeing the psychiatrist once a month and taking medicine for depression. I'm also seeing someone else for "talk" therapy, which helps me learn ways to deal with this illness in my everyday life.

"Everything didn't get better overnight, but I find myself more able to enjoy life and my children."

Rob's Story:

"Things in my life were going all right. I had just gotten my GED and was starting a new job in a week. My family was really proud of me. But inside, I was feeling terrible.

"At first I was feeling sad all the time, even though I had no reason to be. Then the sadness turned into anger, and I started having fights with my family and friends. I felt really bad about myself, like I wasn't good enough for anyone. It got so bad that I wished I would go to bed and never wake up.

 

 

Woman depressed"My older brother, who I always looked up to, saw that I wasn't acting like my usual self. He told me straight out that I seemed depressed and that I should talk to a doctor about it. I hate going to the doctor. I thought, "No way am I going in for this."

"But after a few weeks, I started having problems at work too. Sometimes I wouldn't show up because I wasn't able to sleep the night before. When I got fired, I knew I had to listen to my brother and get help.

"I saw a doctor at the health clinic. He told me I had a common illness called depression and that treatment could help. So I started to see someone at the clinic each week for "talk" therapy. This treatment helps me learn to control depression in my everyday life. It has taken some time, but I'm finally feeling like myself again."

Many people who have depression know something is wrong but don't know what to do about it. Here are steps you can take to understand and get help for depression.

Four Steps to understand and get help for depression:
" Look for signs of depression
" Understand that depression is a real illness
" See your doctor. Get a checkup and talk about how you are feeling.
" Get treatment for your depression. You can feel better.
" If you are thinking about suicide call your doctor, or ask a friend or family member to take you to the hospital. Or call 911. Be aware that these thoughts and feelings are coming from your depression and they will pass. Reach out for help.

 

Source
National Institute of Mental Health

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