Stories of Depression--Do Any of These Personal Accounts Sound Like You?

Are you feeling really sad, tired, and worried most of the time? Are these feelings lasting more than a few days? If your answer is "yes," you may have depression. About 19 million Americans have Depression. It can happen to anyone, no matter what age you are or where you come from. Depression can make it very hard for you to care for yourself, your family, or even function adequately at work. But, there is hope. Depression can be treated and you can feel better.

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 therapist, who is an expert in treating depression.

"Now, I'm seeing a psychiatrist 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.

"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 a therapist 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."