A PSA from me

This is truly serious. I know my title is tongue-in-cheek.

Depending on how well you know me, you may or may not know that I've dealt with depression off and on for the last 10 years or so. My first real issue with it was in high school. I gained a lot of weight, hid in my room, lost contact with my friends, and my grades plummeted. My parents were wrapped up in a very ugly separation and divorce, and I was never treated for depression or anything. This went on and on for about a year.

After Stuart and I got married and I got pregnant with Chase, I hit bottom emotionally again. I chalked it up to hormones, but I was clinically depressed. I know that looking back. It happened again after Logan was born in the form of PPD. I didn't even want to leave the hospital. I was treated this time with medication, and felt fantastic. So fantastic that I thought I was "better".

Fast forward to March 2007. I gained weight after my hysterectomy and couldn't lose it - even going to the gym 3 to 5 days a week. A doctor put me on Wellbutrin for weight loss. Not only did I NOT lose weight, it had an adverse effect on my emotions, and I was really cranky and moody. I stopped taking it after a couple months.

Starting in August of 2007, I was having very tearful days where I just couldn't cope. At all. There was no trigger - no stressor that hadn't been there the day before. Just a very helpless feeling. A hopeless feeling. My dear friend, Sonya, who happens to have a PhD and is a Psychotherapist suggested that I see a doc for depression. She - and others around me - could clearly see that I was slipping back into that pit of despair.

I learned something at the visit with my doc that I hadn't heard, and it's worth hearing. UNTREATED DEPRESSION CAN HAVE ADVERSE EFFECTS ON YOUR BODY. No, not in the form of self-mutilation. Not just in the form of fatigue and aching. Untreated depression causes damage to parts of your brain, and left untreated can lead to dementia in later life. I hadn't heard this and it terrifies me.

I know SO many women who are afraid to admit that they feel overwhelmed, sad, or *gasp* depressed. Here's a fact: Depression has nothing to do with you being weak, strong, or otherwise. This is something I've had to tell myself, and it's important. Depression is a disease, just like diabetes, high blood pressure, or glaucoma. You don't ask for it, you don't do something wrong to get it. You DO need to see someone if you have symptoms.

http://www.king5.com/health/stories/NW_080407HEK_dementia_KS.177de55.html

http://www.depression.com/depression_questionnaire.html

Please check these links out. Send me an e-mail if you want to talk or ask questions. Just please don't think you're alone. Don't give up. Please, don't NOT take medicine because you're worried about how others will see you.