I know there is plenty of advice out there for sufferers of depression, but I just wanted to add a bit of a personal slant and some bits of into I have discovered.
How do you know when you are depressed?? Most of us have days when
we feel down or life just seems too hard, but most of us get through them. When you find that the days are becoming weeks and you aren't coping or feeling interested in life - then maybe you need to seek help.
Symptoms include crying for no reason, loss of interest in things around you, withdrawing from people, changes in eating and sleeping habits, trouble concentrating or making decisions, being angry, irritable or restless, lack of energy and feelings of sadness, worthlessness or guilt. If you can see some of these symptoms in yourself or a loved one for a few weeks then it is time to seek further advice.
I had suffered depression pre-children but, after my children, my symptoms were different so I denied that I had PND. I was sure I just had sleep deprivation (lets face it, many of the same symptoms) and if only my baby would sleep I would be better. When I had the same issues with baby number 2, who slept - well, then I had no excuse. Hence, i got help and things got a lot better a lot quicker.
So there is a scale of severity and sometimes you may experience different symptoms of depression, but after a while you start to recognise the symptoms (both in yourself and others) and to know what is 'normal' and a bad day and what is an indication something is really wrong.
Now I recognise that I have a predisposition to depression and when I am stressed I am more likely to suffer it. There is a genetic element to it - so I can partly blame my family (thanks Mum & Dad!) - but it also seems to be affected by my attitudes. If you are someone who is often anxious and who sees the negative in situations you are more likely to suffer this illness.
Next point, yes, it is an illness. There are chemical reasons for depression. We could just as easily call it Serotonin deficiency without the same stigma as 'depression'. Depression results when the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain (Serotonin and Noradrenaline) are reduced. Some of us have lower levels, hence are more susceptible, but stress also reduces the Serotonin levels in our brains, thus opening us up to this illness.
Depression currently affects about 20% of us at some point in our lives - so it is a common illness. It is on the increase and the WHO predicts that come 2020 it will be the second most common form of illness in the western world. Approximately 10% of the population suffer anxiety at some time and this often overlaps with depression, so the two go hand in hand.
When I was diagnosed I struggled with:
Why Me?
Why Now?
What now?
What happens in the future?
So this info covers the first two questions, the next big issue I had was "What now?" I accepted that I needed help - I had children depending on me and a child old enough to want to know why Mummy was sad and what was going on. So I agreed to medication. The biggest hurdles I faced were my own mental stigma attached to anti-depressants and wondering how long I would be on them for.
When you understand depression is an illness, you accept that medication is an option. If you had diabetes you would take medicine without a thought, so why are we so afraid of anti-depressants? The new ranges are a lot safer and have less side effects and can be taken shorter term (without addiction). When I accepted this I then struggled with the thought that maybe I would never come off them.
I did come off them in time, but I have since wondered if that is just another hurdle to the stigma I had to overcome. So what if I was on it forever? If it helped and kept me 'normal' why should I feel ashamed of having to take it?
But there is another part to the story and that is the question of the future. Once you acknowledge that you are someone who is more likely to suffer depression where does that lead you in the future. i think I shall save that for another article - so keep posted for number 2!
Hope that helps someone out there....
(September 2007) (
