WHY AM I SO SAD? DO YOU KNOW WHY? ARE YOU SUFFERING FROM DEPRESSION?

HELLO, BEFORE YOU READ ON, I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE SOMETHING WITH YOU. ON FEB.10 1997, I HAD A BREAKDOWN. ACTUALLY IT HAD BEEN COMING ON FOR SOMETIME. THAT WAS THE DAY MY SISTER TOOK ME TO THE HOSPITAL, IN WHICH I ADMITTED MYSELF AND SPENT 32 DAYS.

IN THOSE 32 DAYS, THERE WAS SO MUCH TO LEARN. GROUPS, ONE ON ONE, TALKS WITH MY DOCTOR, JUST SO MUCH TO TRY TO GRASP ONTO. LIKE,WHY I WAS THERE? WHAT BROUGHT ME TO THE BREAKDOWN? SO MANY QUESTIONS. AND FOR THE MOMENT I COULD NOT FIND ANY ANSWERS.

I FOUND OUT THAT I HAD PROBABLY BEEN DEPRESSED SINCE I WAS ABOUT 4 YEARS YOUNG.WHICH THE DOCTOR SAID IS NOT UNUSAL.AND OF COURSE MY PARENTS OR ANYONE ELSE KNEW IT.SURE DID EXPLAIN ALOT OF STUFF. :)

I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL 2 MORE TIMES, BUT THIS TIME FOR MEDICATION ADJUSTMENT. GOT A STRANGE SYSTEM, DOES NOT ALWAYS LIKE THE MEDS I GET BUT I DID NOT SEE THESE OTHER 2 STAYS AS A STEP BACK. THEY HELPED ME EVEN MORE. ONCE AGAIN I SPENT 30-32 DAYS THERE.

YES, I WILL ALWAYS NEED TO TAKE MEDICATION. BUT I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THAT.IT KEEPS ME SANE.τΏτ

DEPRESSION IS NOTHING TO BE ASHAMED OF. GETTING HELP IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO, SO IF YOU FEEL DOWN, GOT THE BLUES OR WHAT EVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT, GET HELP!!! IT WILL BE THE BEST THING YOU WILL DO FOR YOURSELF, YOUR FRIENDS AND YOUR FAMILY.

DON'T BE AFRAID.IT WILL GET BETTER.

WHAT IS DEPRESSION?

DEPRESSION IS A BRAIN DISORDER THAT AFFECTS YOUR THOUGHTS, MOODS, FEELINGS, BEHAVIOR AND PHYSICAL HEALTH.

PEOPLE USED TO THINK IT WAS "ALL IN YOUR HEAD" AND IF YOU REALLY TRIED, YOU COULD "PULL YOURSELF OUT OF IT".
NOT EVERYONE CAN JUST "SNAP" OUT OF IT, THIS BOUT OF BLUES,DEPRESSION, OR WHAT EVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT.THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE THAT NEED LOTS OF HELP TO "SNAP" OUT OF IT.. DOCTORS KNOW THAT DEPRESSION IS NOT A WEAKNESS, AND YOU CAN'T TREAT IT ON YOUR OWN. IT'S A TRUE MEDICAL DISORDER WITH A BIOLOGICAL BASIS.

SOMETIMES, A STRESSFUL EVENT TRIGGERS DEPRESSION. OTHER TIMES, DEPRESSION SEEMS TO OCCUR OUT OF THE BLUE. IT WILL HAVE NO IDENTIFIABLE SPECIFIC CAUSE, WHATEVER THE TRIGGER, DEPRESSION IS MUCH MORE THAN GRIEVING OR A BOUT OF THE "BLUES". DEPRESSION MAY OCCUR AS REPEATED EPISODES OVER A LIFETIME, WITH PERIODS FREE OF DEPRESSION IN BETWEEN. OR IT COULD BE A CHRONIC CONDITION, REQUIRING ONGOING TREATMENT OVER A LIFETIME.

DEPRESSION AFFECTS MORE THAN 17 MILLION AMERICANS OF ALL AGES AND RACES. AND IT'S NOT MORE COMMON IN OLDER PEOPLE, BUT IT IS MORE LIKELY TO GO UNRECOGNIZED IN THIS AGE GROUP.

DEPRESSION RATES ARE REALLY LOW AMONG MARRIED PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY MARRIED MEN, AND THOSE IN A LONG TERM INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP. IT IS HOWEVER, HIGHER AMONG DIVORCED PEOPLE AND THOSE WHO LIVE ALONE.

MEDICATIONS ARE AVAILABLE THAT ARE GENERALLY SAFE AND EFFECTIVE, EVEN FOR THE MOST SEVERE DEPRESSION. WITH PROPER TREATMENT, MOST PEOPLE WITH SERIOUS DEPRESSION IMPROVE,OFTEN, WITHIN WEEKS, AND CAN RETURN TO THEIR NORMAL DAILY ACTIVITIES.

THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH YOU.IT HAS HELPED ME TO HELP YOU.

I LOVE EMAIL...GOD BLESS...

"UPDATED 6/15/04"