Depression – Lifey

Here’s a free collection of resources about depression- Depression blogs, videos, support groups, first-hand experiences and advice from people who have depression, etc.

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Depression Blogs

Here’s a list of depression blogs- blogs written by people with depression, or about depression.

****Email alexbalinski@gmail.com to submit your blog to this list.***

Daisies and Bruises	daisiesandbruises.com	2017
Doctor Deb	drdeborahserani.blogspot.com	2017
A Splintered Mind	douglascootey.com	2017
Lawyers with Depression	lawyerswithdepression.com	2017
My Postpartum Voice	mypostpartumvoice.com	2017
Blue Light Blue	bluelightblue.com	2017
Depression Marathon	depressionmarathon.blogspot.com	2017
Time to Change	time-to-change.org.uk	2017
Healthy Place	healthyplace.com	2017
Chipur	chipur.com	2017

Depression Support Groups

Depression Support Groups On Facebook

Other Depression Support Groups And Forums

Depression Support Group (76,371 members, 495,981 posts)

Depression Survey

We’re surveying people about their experiences with depression. Here will be a collection of their responses.

*This information is not meant to replace medical advice, and the information gathered via surveys may or may not be correct. Hopefully it will be helpful to you!

*Response format = Answer (Name, Age)

**Click here to share your experience with depression**

Depression Symptoms

What symptoms have you experienced?

Loneliness, sadness, crying, and anger. (Zowie, 14 years old)
Empty, lonely, miserable, sad feeling, suicidal thoughts, not being able to smile even if I wanted, don’t wanna go anywhere, and tired. (Nynne, 14 years old)
Worthlessness stuck in my own head, not wanting to do what I used to do, ending up with a dependency on many things. (Jade, 16 years old)
Tired, loss of interests, and isolating feeling. Etc etc. (Hannah, 17 years old)
Weight gain, high blood pressure, severe insomnia, extreme fatigue, low energy, eating habits change, swallowing troubles, and mouth dry. Mood unstablity, feelings of worthlessness, helplessness and uselessness, lack of interest, extreme anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. (Loubna, 18 years old)
Severe depression and anxiety. (Alexei, 19 years old)
Lack of sleep. (Kayla, 19 years old)
Self-harm, loneliness, feeling worthless, and apathy. (Morgan, 20 years old)
Extreme sadness, crying. (Anonymous, 21 years old)
Many. (Angela, 22 years old)
Crying, sadness, irritability, sleepy all the time, and mood swings in any direction. (Andrea, 23 years old)
Lethargy, overwhelmingly sadness, paranoia, hopelessness, headaches, acid reflux, digestion issues.. (Jennifer, 24 years old)
Sadness, anger, hoplessness, loneliness, fatigue, reduced interest and energy. (Bailey, 24 years old)
Stress, low moods, and not happy. (Rebecca, 24 years old)
Over thinking. (Noor, 24 years old)
Fatigue. (Sarah, 24 years old)
Low moods. Unwillingness to do any thing. Suicidal thoughts. Being withdrawn. (Anonymous, 24 years old)
Self-harm, things go round in my head, bad things and some times I lay there at night and cry and have bad dreams. (Stacey, 25 years old)
Anxiety and MDD. (Camilo, 25 years old)
Inability to make decisions, fatigue, feeling numb, crying a lot for no reason, not being able to get out of bed, changes in menstrual cycle, urge to self harm, and suicidal ideation. (Melissa, 25 years old)
Anxiety, suicidal thoughts, extreme fatigue, lack of energy, and obsessive thoughts. (Stephany, 25 years old)
Anxiety, panic attacks, sadness, being with drawn, blunt, easily frustrated, angry, heartbroken. (Amanda, 26 years old)
Loneliness and sadness. (Nichole, 26 years old)
Worthlessness, anxiety, anger, physical pain, fatigue, self harm, etc. (Anonymous, 27 years old)
Anxiety, panic attacks, no motivation to do simple things, avoiding family and friends, and feelings of hopelessness. (Jordan, 27 years old)
Low, down, blue, distraught, devastated, hopeless, helpless, overwhelmed, and very sad. (Samira, 29 years old)
Severe ups and downs. (Anonymous, 30 years old)
Depression, anxiety, hallucinations, delusions. (Aaron, 31 years old)
Panic attacks, I can’t go out on my own and I’m on tablets 3 times a day. I have hot and cold sweats. (Jessica, 31 years old)
Anger, distress, anxiety. (Echo, 31 years old)
Anxiety anal tightness, blood pressure. (David, 32 years old)
Hopelessness, depression, sadness. (Tracey, 33 years old)
Depression, ptsd, and bipolar. (Elizabeth, 34 years old)
I’m bipolar, hypo mania, deep depression, and I have anxiety. (Heather, 34 years old)
Sadness, feeling useless, every thing goes wrong and anger at myself. (Bobby, 35 years old)
Crying for no reason, no energy, panic attacks, afraid to leave the house, and mood swings. (Dawn, 35 years old)
Disconnect, recurrent thoughts of death, no motivation, and unhappy. (Kay, 37 years old)
Extreme fatigue, apathy, tearful, intrusive thoughts, forgetful, and no focus. (Ginni, 37 years old)
Depressed mood. (Abbie, 37 years old)
Sadness, numbness, insomnia, rage, lethargy, suicidal thoughts, and cognitive decrease. (Stephanie, 38 years old)
Depression, anxiety, suicidal ideations, isolation, digestive issues, and migraines. (Paula, 38 years old)
Anxiety, emptiness, dissatisfaction, addiction, despair, loneliness, job loss, burnout, trauma, anger, sadness, and relationship problems. (Gerry, 39 years old)
Extreme sadness, tired, memory loss, pain, and lots of emotional crying. (Christel, 42 years old)
Change in appetite, lethargy, nausea, headaches, crying all the time, insomnia, body aches, constant sadness, suicidal ideation, tiredness, and confused thoughts. (Kylie, 43 years old)
Loneliness, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, low self-esteem, worthless, fatigue, insomnia, aches and pains, poor hygiene, and the list goes on and on. (Ysabel, 43 years old)
Lost interest in life. (Eugenia, 44 years old)
Extreme anxiety. Crying everyday, lack of sleep, difficulty with interpersonal relationships, communication, lack of coping skills, and major fatigue which could be part of chronic fatigue syndrome. Body aches, worry, fear, extreme codependency, addictions overeating, over-use of prescription medications, suicide ideation, and suicide attempts. Lack of self-control and lack of self esteem. (Anonymous, 47 years old)
Loss of energy, exhaustion, suicidal thoughts, and anxiety. (Christine, 47 years old)
Not wanting to be around people and needing to be alone. Sleepless, and always sleepy out of nowhere, deep sadness, anger, and hurt with no triggers. (Traci, 50 years old)
Anxiety, depression, scare and anger. (Jacqueline, 50 years old)
Sadness, failure, remorse, self blame. (Patricia, 51 years old)
Anxiety, depression, ptsd and overdosing. (Kaz, 52 years old)
Suicidal thoughts, crying, afraid to go out, shaking inside, afraid of everything, negative thinking, feeling sick and headaches, PTSD and overeating. (Kelly, 53 years old)
Discontent, sad, no sleep, no get up and go. (Jeanne, 54 years old)
Depression and anxiety. (Cindy, 57 years old)
Anxiety and depression. (Jann, 58 years old)
I have felt so low that I didn’t want to move. Crying, sleeplessness, disoriented and fear. (Cindy, 59 years old)
Fatigue, no motivation, and sadness. (Billie, 60 years old)
Not eating, overeating, sadness, worthlessness, suicide. (Nancy, 62 years old)
Lack of wanting to do anything. (Kathy, 62 years old)
Dark feelings of hopelessness and isolation. (George, 65 years old)

Depression Facts

What are some interesting facts about depression?

People think it’s only sadness but it’s a mix of a lot emotions. (Zowie, 14 years old)
It doesn’t need a reason. (Nynne, 14 years old)
You cant just make it disappear. (Jade, 16 years old)
Being in positive situations doesn’t mean my depression goes away. (Hannah, 17 years old)
It’s not only a psychological result of certain life experiences, it’s a chemical unbalanced situation that needs to be treated. Being in a healthy love relationship helps a lot to cure depression. (Loubna, 18 years old)
It’s like pretty much every other thing in life: You cannot classify it as something universal — Every individual pretty much experiences it in a varied, vast, and different way. (Alexei, 19 years old)
You could be smiling and happy on the outside but feeling completely lost inside. (Morgan, 20 years old)
No one would ever know if you didn’t tell them. It’s very lonely. It seems that it just sucks because there’s nothing you can do about it. (Anonymous, 21 years old)
It’s usually a lifetime of episodes. (Angela, 22 years old)
Often those you’d least expect struggle with it. It’s often just as much of physical symptoms as mental or emotional. (Jennifer, 24 years old)
As well known as depression is, the majority of the population don’t know how to talk about it, don’t know how to cope with it, and don’t understand how it works. (Bailey, 24 years old)
It stays with you . You can over come it. (Anonymous, 24 years old)
You get to think a lot. (Noor, 24 years old)
It’s not just feeling sad all the time. It’s a weird feeling of dread and hopelessness that’s kind of crushing. (Stephany, 25 years old)
Its not nice having it, it’s horrible, really can’t go out with your mates and seems like the world is crumbling down on you. I can’t breath at times and just want to curl up and never come back out. (Stacey, 25 years old)
Hard to handle. (Nichole, 26 years old)
You have to teach your brain to be happy again. With the right concoction of medication, hopefully depression can be fought. (Samira, 29 years old)
Too many people have it. (Anonymous, 30 years old)
There seems to be a correlation between it and creative people. (Aaron, 31 years old)
There is no cure. If you have it you, have it for life, but you can deal with it a certain way. (Jessica, 31 years old)
Depression can ruin a persons life and affect them in many ways. (Elizabeth, 34 years old)
It not up to you its up to how people make you feel. (Bobby, 35 years old)
It becomes normal after so long. Children can experience severe depression. (Kay, 37 years old)
Even people who act happy can be depressed. Some days, having a shower is too hard. (Ginni, 37 years old)
It is always there, even on medication. (Abbie, 37 years old)
It’s not really all that interesting. Mostly it’s crying in the middle of the day, wanting to die and hoping against hope that tomorrow will be better. (Stephanie, 38 years old)
I always thought depression looked like sitting around at home in a bathrobe. Perhaps for some it does, but for me depression resulted in constant, overactive, fruitless efforts to find success and happiness. (Gerry, 39 years old)
It’s seasonal, triggered by dates and events. (Christel, 42 years old)
It can happen to anyone! (Kylie, 43 years old)
No one understands it. (Christine, 47 years old)
I feel more depressed when I’m with people and yet extremely depressed when alone. (Traci, 50 years old)
You can’t control it unless you get help. (Jacqueline, 50 years old)
People think you look fine. (Patricia, 51 years old)
You can help others but never yourself. You can be touched and cry your eyes out. It makes you insecure and frightened. (Kaz, 52 years old)
No one can see it, so they think you’re fine. If you say suicide they lock you up to make you more depressed, so you lie about it and people think your lazy, when really the depression keeps you down. (Kelly, 53 years old)
It’s heartbreaking to live with and most don’t understand. (Jeanne, 54 years old)
It never ends. (Cindy, 57 years old)
It knows no bounds, rich or poor. (Jann, 58 years old)
Comes in cycles for me. (Cindy, 59 years old)
Mine most likely was inherited because both sides of my parents family’ so many are depressed & on anti-depressants. (Billie, 60 years old)
It can affect anyone, no matter who you are. (Nancy, 62 years old)
Not feeling like doing the things that you love. (Kathy, 62 years old)
Depression can be used to self-destruct or gain valuable personal insights. (George, 65 years old)

Depression Management

What are effective ways to manage your depression?

Talking to people, listening to music, and redoing school assignments, sleeping. (Zowie, 14 years old)
Go out. (Nynne, 14 years old)
Talking about it and getting support. (Jade, 16 years old)
Friends helping me and encouraging me. Taking small steps. (Hannah, 17 years old)
Helping others freely. (Loubna, 18 years old)
I use music to distract myself. That’s what I mostly try to do. (Alexei, 19 years old)
If I am having a bad day, self-harm. If a not too bad day, music. (Morgan, 20 years old)
Keep busy. Spend time with people. (Anonymous, 21 years old)
Medicine and therapy. (Angela, 22 years old)
Medication. My dog, and having her certified as an Emotional Support Animal. (Jennifer, 24 years old)
Music. (Sarah, 24 years old)
Do something I like. (Noor, 24 years old)
Appeasing all of your senses at once. 1. Touch-for me a very soft blanket or animal. 2 Smell- light a candle. 3 Taste- eat something sweet like chocolate to get those Endorphins flowing. 4 Hear- This one most known, listen to some nice music. Uplifting is usually better. 5 Look- look at a magazine, read a book, binge watch the entire Game Of Thrones. Just give your eyes a job. (Bailey, 24 years old)
Meditation, diet and exercise. (Stephany, 25 years old)
Right company, and in a right place. (Camilo, 25 years old)
Coloring, walks, baths. cleaning, talking, and get help. (Stacey, 25 years old)
Medication, daily scripture reading, therapy. (Amanda, 26 years old)
Medication and therapy. (Nichole, 26 years old)
Stay busy. (Anonymous, 27 years old)
Have a routine. Going to church, prayer, scripture study. I also find that positive music and reading help me. (Jordan, 27 years old)
Talk a lot, be active, exercise, socialize, going out, nature, art, laugh and be happy always smile, cook, and hobbies. (Samira, 29 years old)
Medication, therapy. (Aaron, 31 years old)
Take tablets and eat healthy. (Jessica, 31 years old)
Keeping myself busy and productive. (Echo, 31 years old)
Listen to music, crochet, and read. (Elizabeth, 34 years old)
Medication. (Heather, 34 years old)
Keep busy. (Bobby, 35 years old)
Moment to moment. (Kay, 37 years old)
Exercise helps. (Abbie, 37 years old)
Exercise, good food, cognitive behavior therapy, and medication. (Ginni, 37 years old)
Medication, a good sleep routine, taking time for myself, and good diet and exercise. (Stephanie, 38 years old)
Medication and therapy. (Paula, 38 years old)
Self-care: exercise, family/friend time, relaxation, limiting commitments, helping others, music, light box (for seasonal depression), a sense of purpose and mission, creativity, journaling, therapy, learning, sex/intimacy, reiki, and massage. (Gerry, 39 years old)
Positive people help, taking all my meds on time helps, and the beach helps. (Christel, 42 years old)
Medication, daily exercise, healthy diet, regular appointments with psychiatrist and psychologist. (Kylie, 43 years old)
Working. (Eugenia, 44 years old)
Medication is number one in my case. I did not take my medication yesterday morning. Had a major meltdown this morning with my husband and threw my cup, ice all over the floor and broke the blinds. When I lose my temper I tend to destroy things, and some verbal abuse I have never hurt anyone though I do not want to hurt people but I’ve tried to hurt myself. (Anonymous, 47 years old)
Medicine but it doesn’t always work. (Christine, 47 years old)
Haven’t quite figured that out yet. (Traci, 50 years old)
Therapist and medicine. (Jacqueline, 50 years old)
Talking to my husband. Using a coping skill. Asking for help. (Patricia, 51 years old)
Therapy and right anti-depresents. (Kaz, 52 years old)
Go for a walk, go to the beach, I would say visit family or friends, but I don’t have any. (Kelly, 53 years old
Staying away so people don’t know. (Jeanne, 54 years old)
Nothing really because the side effects from meds make me worse. (Cindy, 57 years old)
I take meds but they don’t help. (Jann, 58 years old)
Medication, walking, music and meditation. (Cindy, 59 years old)
I have taken different anti-depressants for 40 plus years. (Billie, 60 years old)
Meds and faith. (Kathy, 62 years old)
Interacting with others, eating healthy food, exercise, and scripture reading. (George, 65 years old)

Depression Difficulties

What’s the hardest aspect of living with depression?

Having nobody to vent to and when nobody understands. (Zowie, 14 years old)
Not being able to explain why you are feeling like this. (Nynne, 14 years old)
Living. (Hannah, 17 years old)
The misunderstanding and the negative judgment of people who don’t believe there’s an illness called depression. (Loubna, 18 years old)
The variety of insecurities coming with it. (Alexei, 19 years old)
No-one knows I have it and I don’t want to tell anyone but it kills me. (Morgan, 20 years old)
Feeling alone. There being no solutions. (Anonymous, 21 years old)
Knowing your kids have a good chance of developing it. (Angela, 22 years old)
Not knowing what to do or how to handle it. Doing what you think will help over and over again even though it doesn’t. The cycle of happy and sad.. all the roller coasters. (Andrea, 23 years old)
Feeling immobilized. (Jennifer, 24 years old)
Having no support. (Anonymous, 24 years old)
Breathing. (Sarah, 24 years old)
People don’t understand you. (Noor, 24 years old)
You can’t control your enotions or when it happens. (Bailey, 24 years old)
The hopelessness that makes it feel like nothing will get better. (Stephany, 25 years old)
The loneliness. (Camilo, 25 years old)
Trying to control it and talking and trying not to kill yourself. (Stacey, 25 years old)
Putting my fiance through the pain of my depression. (Melissa, 25 years old)
Not knowing when an episode will happen. (Nichole, 26 years old)
My anger. (Amanda, 26 years old)
Being different and no one understanding that it’s a real sickness. The anger. (Anonymous, 27 years old)
Things that are simple for most people are extremely difficult and mentally and emotionally draining. (Jordan, 27 years old)
You can’t do anything at all. Although you lie in bed all day and night you can’t sleep either. Sleeping at night or no sleep at all. (Samira, 29 years old)
Inability to escape. (Anonymous, 30 years old)
Living with it. (Aaron, 31 years old)
Never knowing what might trigger it, what it causes, and how long it will last. (Echo, 31 years old)
Suffering with loneliness, being tired all the time and suffering in silence. (Jessica, 31 years old)
Being sad. (Tracey, 33 years old)
Being able to fight back and the way depression makes a person feel. (Elizabeth, 34 years old)
Knowing nobody truly understands. (Heather, 34 years old)
That you upset every one around you. (Bobby, 35 years old)
Wanting to be who you used to be and not recognizing the person you have become. (Dawn, 35 years old)
people not understanding, wanting change but not having the energy or organization though to make it happen. (Kay, 37 years old)
It is always there. (Abbie, 37 years old)
Fatigue. (Ginni, 37 years old)
I don’t like who I am so I am not an easy person to live with. (Stephanie, 38 years old)
How pervasive it is. (Paula, 38 years old)
Life doesn’t stop while I work through emotional issues. Bills still need to be paid, relationships still need to be maintained, and work still needs to be done. I often find myself in robot-mode, going through the motions and feeling so fake and so tired. It’s like I’m trapped in my own life, powerless to make changes that will have a lasting positive impact. (Gerry, 39 years old)
Surviving. (Christel, 42 years old)
It is very exhausting and it is a daily battle to keep on top. Also the loss of family/friends due to their lack of understanding of mental illness. (Kylie, 43 years old)
Accepting that I have this disease. I hate it and I wish I didn’t have it. I wish it wasn’t a part of me. I could be so much more productive in life as a mother, as a wife, as a part of the community and being able to work outside the home more. (Anonymous, 47 years old)
Apathy at life. (Christine, 47 years old)
Exactly that…. Living. (Traci, 50 years old)
Hurting the people you love. (Jacqueline, 50 years old)
You feel like a loser. (Patricia, 51 years old)
Other people understanding it. (Kaz, 52 years old)
Being alone, and not functioning. (Kelly, 53 years old)
Living. (Jeanne, 54 years old)
No hope. (Cindy, 57 years old)
Feeling worthless. (Jann, 58 years old)
No one understands. (Cindy, 59 years old)
Making myself do things. (Billie, 60 years old)
Being happy on the outside and dead on the inside. (Nancy, 62 years old)
Feeling bad all the time. (Kathy, 62 years old)
Feeling worthless and unloved. They’re incorrect, but seem otherwise. (George, 65 years old)

Depression Advice

What words of encouragement/advice can you give people who are depressed?

I can’t tell you it gets better because it truly doesn’t, but all I can say is, if you want it to get better than you have to try and make it better! Make a great connection with your friends and family! (Zowie, 14 years old)
You will get through it. Go to the doctor, for your own sake. (Nynne, 14 years old)
Don’t keep it to yourself. (Jade, 16 years old)
Never give up and always keep fighting. (Hannah, 17 years old)
You are not alone. You can defeat it and be the best version of yourself. Just help yourself and seek help! (Loubna, 18 years old)
That this depression doesn’t define them in their totality. There’s still hope, you have to seek help, or help yourself. Encourage yourself. (Alexei, 19 years old)
Like a tattoo I have from a campaign from Jared Padalecki “Always keep fighting.” (Morgan, 20 years old)
It will pass. (Angela, 22 years old)
It’s hard to when I haven’t figured it out myself. (Andrea, 23 years old)
There will always be good days. Keep trying and you’ll find things that work. (Jennifer, 24 years old)
Don’t give up. (Sarah, 24 years old)
Look for good mates. (Rebecca, 24 years old)
Be tough. (Noor, 24 years old)
Find something that you love and concentrate on that. It doesn’t control you, you control it. (Anonymous, 24 years old)
This is hard because everyone is different, but I tell myself “every dark cloud has a silver lining.” (Bailey, 24 years old)
You are not alone, and we fight together. (Camilo, 25 years old)
Find a coping skill that works for you. It helps so much to have something that helps, even if just a little. It’ll help you feel more in control. (Stephany, 25 years old)
Please try and talk to some one for help. Anyone, before it gets worse, and stay strong. (Stacey, 25 years old)
Let people help you and talk it out. (Nichole, 26 years old)
Hang in there, read scriptures, be open about your condition. (Amanda, 26 years old)
There are many others who feel the way you do, who have depression, anxiety, anger, you name it. Seek the help you need, pull yourself out of that bed every morning, no matter how hard it is, and find “your thing” that makes you feel somewhat better and happy, and go with it. (Anonymous, 27 years old)
Try to stay positive and see the good in life. Take it one day at a time. (Jordan, 27 years old)
For real depression get anti depressants. If you are just sad or grieving that’s normal. Depression is beyond sadness and crying. You can’t even cry. You can’t even feel. (Samira, 29 years old)
Seek true friendship, but respect them. Keep going. (Anonymous, 30 years old)
Don’t give up, even when it feels hopeless. (Aaron, 31 years old)
It’s no ones fault and I’m here to talk to anyone that is suffering. It’s a horrible disease. (Jessica, 31 years old)
You’re not alone in this battle. (Echo, 31 years old)
Never give up. I’ve been there and still am. (Elizabeth, 34 years old)
Carry on, tomorrow is another day. (Bobby, 35 years old)
There will be good days, you owe it to yourself to be here for them. (Kay, 37 years old)
Hang in there. (Abbie, 37 years old)
Seek help. There’s no shame in getting help. It won’t get better overnight but some days you will feel better. (Stephanie, 38 years old)
Depression is a self-reinforcing disease. It encourages you NOT to do the very things that will help you get better. Sometimes you have to find the strength to do the exact opposite of what you want. (Gerry, 39 years old)
Hang in there, hold onto faith, it does get better. (Christel, 42 years old)
Get professional help and make yourself a crisis plan. Be kind to yourself and take some time out for yourself everyday. Don’t try to make everyone understand, some people will never get it unless it happens to them. Don’t waste your energy on unnecessary toxic relationships. The depression cycle generally lasts 6 months and is worse during the winter. (Kylie, 43 years old)
I can listen and sometimes I have a hard time not trying to solve another person’s problem. So I do try to empathize without judgement. Since it’s hard for me to treat myself nice it’s hard to think of things for others even though I feel bad for them I don’t have advice for them really. I don’t have a lot of things that help me right now, I need to get in and do major therapy learn different behaviors. I know one thing that’s kind of helped is attending a 12-step meeting LDS. It’s been a huge eye-opener. A lot of people that go to these meetings have some sort of mental illness it’s interesting not everyone but some. (Anonymous, 47 years old)
Get help. (Christine, 47 years old)
Get help, talk to someone. (Jacqueline, 50 years old)
One day at a time. (Patricia, 51 years old)
Fight it, don’t give in, get help. (Kaz, 52 years old)
They say it gets better. (Kelly, 53 years old)
Hope. (Jeanne, 54 years old)
Try to ask for help. (Cindy, 57 years old)
Don’t give up. (Jann, 58 years old)
Just keep going. (Cindy, 59 years old)
Talk to family & friends. (Billie, 60 years old)
You can do this. It didn’t happen overnight, and you won’t feel better overnight, but it will let up eventually. (Nancy, 62 years old)
Hang in there. (Kathy, 62 years old)
Depression can be an important learning opportunity. You will improve. (George, 65 years old)

Depression Diet and Exercise

What’s been your experience with diet and exercise?

It hasn’t worked to help my depression. (Zowie, 14 years old)
Lack of both. (Jade, 16 years old)
Diet sucks. Exercise moderate. (Hannah, 17 years old)
Although I’m overweight, I sometimes spend days without eating. I have never been patient enough to go on a diet or try to work out. It’s also because of my high blood pressure problem. (Loubna, 18 years old)
Honestly, I haven’t tried them in order to battle my depression. (Alexei, 19 years old)
It’s hard to stay on it without support. But I have been successful in the past. (Anonymous, 21 years old)
Exercise helps if I can get myself out of bed. (Angela, 22 years old)
Good food, better mind. Endorphins help! (Provided when working out) oh hiking, biking, rollerblading and dogs help me be happy at least for a little while. (Andrea, 23 years old)
My depression improves when I eat healthy and work out, but having depression makes it harder to do so. (Jennifer, 24 years old)
It goes up and down. (Anonymous, 24 years old)
They help you deal with your sadness. (Sarah, 24 years old)
I hate it. Growing up, all throughout school, I used to exercise in a competitive sport and was gym bound almost daily. I would much rather go outside and mow the lawn or do some gardening then go back into a gym. For me it’s not about the appearance it’s about the way you feel and I feel like everyone at the gym is only there for appearance sakes. I also believe being so strict on yourself when it comes to diet and exercise you actually stress yourself out more and gain more weight than you intended to. (Bailey, 24 years old)
It’s very helpful, but it’s also hard to do. I have very little motivation to do it, but when I do it’s helpful. (Stephany, 25 years old)
I need more discipline. (Camilo, 25 years old)
It helps for a short time but not overall. (Melissa, 25 years old)
Hard to be disciplined. (Amanda, 26 years old)
I don’t. I’ve tried and don’t have the motivation, I never have. (Anonymous, 27 years old)
It’s difficult to maintain and stay motivated. (Jordan, 27 years old)
Great. Good healthy diet builds up serotonin as it is produced in the stomach. (Samira, 29 years old)
Learning to eat healthier. (Jessica, 31 years old)
It certainly helps to some degree, but then I get discouraged because I can’t keep consistency, or can’t see progress. (Echo, 31 years old)
Exercising helps keep the mind busy. (Elizabeth, 34 years old)
Lying in bed and not eating. (Heather, 34 years old)
Improves mood but is hard to do if you have no energy! (Ginni, 37 years old)
Haven’t changed my diet. Exercise helps sometimes but not always. (Abbie, 37 years old)
I eat fairy well and cook most of my own meals with good ingredients but I’m terrible with exercise. (Stephanie, 38 years old)
I’m in too much pain to exercise & I am not motivated to change my diet. (Paula, 38 years old)
Exercise has done wonders for reducing my depressive symptoms. Long boarding, yoga, skiing, biking, running, playing sports and lifting weights make me feel alive. I haven’t been kind to myself when it comes to diet, but I’m sure it would make a difference for me if I made adjustments in that area. (Gerry, 39 years old)
It hasn’t helped me. (Christel, 42 years old)
Exercise is the key to staying well. It doesn’t have to be strenuous, just a stroll around the block or a walk in the park. It’s a natural antidepressant. Eating well and not skipping meals is also very important. (Kylie, 43 years old)
Doesn’t work for me. (Eugenia, 44 years old)
Very, very little, I always think it’s too hard and give up very, very easy. (Anonymous, 47 years old)
I’ve exercised daily and don’t see much difference. (Christine, 47 years old)
Exercises help if I can make myself do them. (Patricia, 51 years old)
I don’t eat right and lack energy to exercise. (Kaz, 52 years old)
They both help. (Kelly, 53 years old)
It helps a little. (Jeanne, 54 years old)
Not really successful. (Cindy, 57 years old)
Exercise works a bit, healthy eating can work a bit too. (Cindy, 59 years old)
I have other health issues too, so exercise is limited. (Billie, 60 years old)
Healthy eating has helped. (Kathy, 62 years old)
Diet and exercise are critical parts of the healing process. (George, 65 years old)

Depression Treatments

What’s been your experience with treatments (medication, therapy, etc.)?

I think therapy was best for me! I haven’t found a medication that works for me. (Zowie, 14 years old)
Haven’t been going for long but I guess it could help some people. (Jade, 16 years old)
For therapy I went through 5 people before finding one that helped and cared. (Hannah, 17 years old)
I’ve started my medical treatment for about 2 months and still, I feel no progress at all. (Loubna, 18 years old)
So far? I feel there’s something that’s still missing, as if therapy lacked something. Connection with my therapist, perhaps? (Alexei, 19 years old)
Therapy. (Kayla, 19 years old)
My antidepressants work. Therapy is okay, but doesn’t really solve anything. I can also say that you need to find the right therapist. (Anonymous, 21 years old)
Therapy is my life saver, medication has so many side affects like weight gain and low sex drive. (Angela, 22 years old)
Only mild medication is used, and it helps sometimes. (Andrea, 23 years old)
It took some time to find the right dosage, but it has been extremely helpful. (Jennifer, 24 years old)
I have felt like I’m not alone in the world. (Sarah, 24 years old)
Therapy works better than medicine. (Anonymous, 24 years old)
Yeah I’ve tried therapy and medication it just never seems to be the right fit between therapist and medication itself. For me I hate the stuffy office scene. My next task is to be a part of recreational therapy. (Bailey, 24 years old)
Medication was awful for me. It made my suicidal thoughts so much worse than they were originally and I felt like I was in a fog all the time. Therapy was very helpful though. It helped to talk about everything and to find strategies to help. (Stephany, 25 years old)
Not effective. (Camilo, 25 years old)
I talk to a mental health team and soical workers. (Stacey, 25 years old)
Medication helps but seems to lose it’s effect after a while. (Melissa, 25 years old)
Good so far. (Amanda, 26 years old)
I’ve been on many different medications, and am still trying to find the right one. I hate going to counselors, but for some it works better then medication. Medical marijuana items. Don’t dis them until you try them. (Anonymous, 27 years old)
It helped somewhat but I didn’t like that it dulled my emotions. (Jordan, 27 years old)
Great. With the right medication. (Samira, 29 years old)
Made it worse. (Anonymous, 30 years old)
Mostly positive. (Aaron, 31 years old)
Taking my tablets everyday. (Jessica, 31 years old)
Therapy became a great sounding board, but that’s about it. Haven’t made up my mind yet on meds. (Echo, 31 years old)
I have been through so many diffrent medications and I have been to phys doctors. Music is my getaway. (Elizabeth, 34 years old)
Medication helps. (Heather, 34 years old)
Some medicine. (Dawn, 35 years old)
Somewhat effective. (Kay, 37 years old)
I do better on medication than off. (Abbie, 37 years old)
Helped me focus enough to work on others things like cognitive behavior therapy and exercise. (Ginni, 37 years old)
I take 100mg of zoloft which did go up to 150mg but it numbed me out too much. I’ve taken a 12 week CBT group therapy course. Both helped a bit. (Stephanie, 38 years old)
Therapy has done wonders for me. It hasn’t solved everything, but it’s given me a venue for learning to understand and manage my symptoms. I haven’t tried medication, but with winter coming (my toughest season) I am thinking I might get on an anti-depressant this year. (Gerry, 39 years old)
Meds and therapy help to a point. (Christel, 42 years old)
For me, the chemical imbalance in my brain is so great that until I get the right medication/s to override that, no amount of therapy will help me. Until then I am a danger to myself. Once the medications kick in I can begin to help myself. (Kylie, 43 years old)
I have been on over 15 different kinds of antidepressants several things for bipolar and several things from anxiety, not all at the same time, just different things as different in diagnosis came out. I think self-affirmations really help if I would stick to it and I think a schedule would help me. Work is huge. When I’m working outside of the home I feel so happy. I’m away from home and have a sense of fulfillment when I’m at the workplace. I get to talk to many people and it really gets my mind off of my own problems. (Anonymous, 47 years old)
Medication has failed. Therapy sort of works and I’m doing TMS right now. (Christine, 47 years old)
Just started last week with a LMHC. (Traci, 50 years old)
Medicine does help, they just have to find the right one. (Jacqueline, 50 years old)
Meds help, and I have to go to therapy to get help. (Patricia, 51 years old)
I have had three anti-depressents, had counseling, and cognitive behavior therapy, but still suffer bad bouts. (Kaz, 52 years old)
I can’t get any. (Kelly, 53 years old)
Helps. But the only thing that really help is ketamine and it’s a lot. (Jeanne, 54 years old)
Poor, as Kaiser Permanente has poor therapists. All meds cause side effects that are worse than the depression. (Cindy, 57 years old)
No good experiences. (Jann, 58 years old)
Medication helps. Talk therapy helped me too. (Cindy, 59 years old)
Many of them worked for many years and then stopped helping. (Billie, 60 years old)
I don’t go to therapy but use three different meds. (Nancy, 62 years old)
I’m still looking for good therapist. (Kathy, 62 years old)
I have accepted my brain chemistry requires medication to remain in sync. (George, 65 years old)

Depression Recommendations

Anything you’d recommend for someone with depression?

Talk to your family. (Zowie, 14 years old)
Therapy can help but it does take the right therapist. (Hannah, 17 years old)
Never minimize your pain until it’s too late! Go seek help! (Loubna, 18 years old)
It’s a hard road, but the light still shines. We all deal and choose our own battles. Don’t give up, life is beautiful and, you can give it a meaning — A meaning that has nothing to do with depression at all. (Alexei, 19 years old)
If you have family and/or friends, spend lots of time with them. (Anonymous, 21 years old)
Therapy. (Angela, 22 years old)
If you think you may have it, seek help in anyway before it gets worse. I didn’t know I actually had it until years past and it continued to get worse. (Andrea, 23 years old)
Explore your options. Listen to doctors and do what feels right to you. Don’t let others make you feel guilty for your choice of treatment. (Jennifer, 24 years old)
Friend groups. (Rebecca, 24 years old)
Therapy. (Sarah, 24 years old)
Seek therapy. I’m all about therapy outside the office and looking for recreational therapies. (i.e. Equine Assisted Psychotherapy.) (Bailey, 24 years old)
Get therapy and also talk to people you are close with. DO NOT bottle it up, it only makes it worse. (Stephany, 25 years old)
Seek for help. (Camilo, 25 years old)
Please get help. (Stacey, 25 years old)
Smoke pot. Honestly it has helped tremendously along with my medication. I sleep at night, I laugh again, it has really helped. (Anonymous, 27 years old)
Try to stay positive and don’t be afraid to talk about it or ask for help. (Jordan, 27 years old)
Get help. Talk talk talk, and get the right meds. Also see a psychologist if you have no one to hear your story and listen and understand. Also a psychologist if you have many unanswered questions or can’t find the answers. (Samira, 29 years old)
Don’t take being overwhelmed personally. (Anonymous, 30 years old)
Talk to someone who cares. (Aaron, 31 years old)
Talk to your family and friends, don’t hide away. (Jessica, 31 years old)
Service. (Echo, 31 years old)
Never ever give up, always fight the fight. (Elizabeth, 34 years old)
Get help. (Heather, 34 years old)
Punching bag. (Bobby, 35 years old)
Get help. (Kay, 37 years old)
Counseling, medication and exercise. (Abbie, 37 years old)
Try to continue to see your friends and be honest with them. (Stephanie, 38 years old)
Friends. (Paula, 38 years old)
Don’t give up. Try to resist the urge to isolate and push people away. They may not fully understand what you are going through, but it’s better to have a team of helpers – professionals as well as friends/family members – to assist you. (Gerry, 39 years old)
Keep plugging along, not everyday is a bad day…it does get better. If your meds are not helping, keep going back to the doctors till they hear you and get you on the right ones. (Christel, 42 years old)
Seek help and don’t be embarrassed. It is an illness and you will get better. (Kylie, 43 years old)
Try to be around positive people. (Eugenia, 44 years old)
See a doctor. (Christine, 47 years old)
Get help and don’t give up. (Jacqueline, 50 years old)
If you can, talk. (Patricia, 51 years old)
Reach out and talk about it. (Kaz, 52 years old)
Exercise helps push yourself. (Kelly, 53 years old)
Don’t settle for less. (Jeanne, 54 years old)
Reach out for help, as family and friends are likely in denial and cannot understand. (Cindy, 57 years old)
Get counseling. (Jann, 58 years old)
Just don’t give up…do some self care. (Cindy, 59 years old)
Stay in close contact with your physiatrist, plus I think a psychologist is totally necessary. (Billie, 60 years old)
Don’t ever give up. It will get better. (Nancy, 62 years old)
See your doctor. (Kathy, 62 years old)
Don’t isolate. Have a “safety net” of friends and family to call or be with. (George, 65 years old)

Depression Resources

What specific resources have you found most helpful?

The mighty organisation blogs. (Loubna, 18 years old)
Distractions, so far only those. (Alexei, 19 years old)
My antidepressant. (Anonymous, 21 years old)
Therapy and the mighty mental health Facebook page. (Angela, 22 years old)
This is actually helping to form thoughts for myself. The Facebook depression page helps me realize I’m not alone. (Andrea, 23 years old)
My doctors. (Jennifer, 24 years old)
Therapy. (Sarah, 24 years old)
Famiy and some friends. It’s good to have a support group. It’s not easy to have to talk to them but it’s good in the long run. The internet provides really great resources too. (Bailey, 24 years old)
Facebook support groups. (Stephany, 25 years old)
Psychologist, and my sweet and lovely girlfriend/best friend. (Camilo, 25 years old)
Group therapy. (Melissa, 25 years old)
Music and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (Jordan, 27 years old)
Google search on depression, the facebook depression group, and the right psychiatrist. (Samira, 29 years old)
Depression groups online. (Aaron, 31 years old)
Listening to my friends. (Jessica, 31 years old)
I found a life coach that understands depression, not a therapist. What’s helped the most is my new roommate who has harder struggles than I do. I’ve helped her, and walked her through anxiety attacks and depression thoughts. In turn, I internalize them, and it has helped me more than I ever expected. Forget yourself and serve others. (Echo, 31 years old)
Depression groups on facebook help a lot. I realized I don’t feel so alone and there are others like me. (Elizabeth, 34 years old)
Moodgym.com and family. (Ginni, 37 years old)
Online groups and seeing my doctor. (Stephanie, 38 years old)
Therapy. (Paula, 38 years old)
www.dbtselfhelp.com is a great web site for learning about DBT therapy, which is like a combination of mindfulness techniques (think Buddhist monks) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy that helps regulate thoughts and emotions. (Gerry, 39 years old)
Talking with others who have experienced depression or any kind of mental health illness. There is a common understanding. (Kylie, 43 years old)
Joining Facebook pages that have to do with depression. (Ysabel, 43 years old)
Medication number one …Individual Therapy from LDS services. hospitalizations, 12 step meetings, group therapy. (Anonymous, 47 years old)
My husband, online support groups. (Patricia, 51 years old)
My dog. (Kelly, 53 years old)
Anything. I’ll try anything. (Jeanne, 54 years old)
None (Cindy, 57 years old)
Counseling. (Jann, 58 years old)
I have a counselor. (Cindy, 59 years old)
My Facebook support group. (Billie, 60 years old)
Church (on line & attending). (Kathy, 62 years old)
Counseling and developing a close relationship with the Lord are critical. (George, 65 years old)
Depression Stories
Share your depression story.
When I was 9 my dad lost his leg, ever since then I developed depression and anxiety! It’s the worst! (Zowie, 14 years old)
I suffered from anxiety for about 3 years. I didn’t seek help because I thought that it’s very normal to feel that way because of the rough times I’ve had. I am a blind poor girl so joining a psychiatrist wasn’t a priority for me. What has made it even worse is that the mental health awareness here in Morocco is still unrecognizable. After 3 years of battling anxiety silently, it went and I ended up with severe depression and difficulties to control my suicidal thoughts. I have already attempted suicide but it wasn’t serious enough. I’ve lost most of my social relationships because of depression. I have been struggling with depression for almost 1 year now. This is my story with severe depression that I could have cured with only curing anxiety if I had been careful enough. (Loubna, 18 years old)
I’m not really willing to list it down here for personal reasons: But, the fact that I am depressed isn’t only something genetical or mental, it has to do with a lot of outside factors — My current situation, whether it is economical or personal, it affects not only me but my family a like. I also was recently diagnosed with schizotypical behaviour, which seems to somehow be linked to that never-ending void we call depression. (Alexei, 19 years old)
I have depression. It’s the first year I’ve actually said it to myself and out loud and it hurts to say it. Hurts to realize it’s gotten as far into my mind as it has. I’m thinking of seeking professional help but haven’t taken the step yet. I feel like I have no reason to have depression. I don’t have a background that would hint at it…event wise. It runs in the family though, but nothing has ever been done for it. That’s the hardest part though. That’s what I feel guilty about. Knowing I had a good childhood and I have a good life but rarely feeling fullfilled. Never feeling like I deserve a gift. I feel I’m made to do something bigger but stuck floating in the galaxy not able to do anything to better my situation. (Andrea, 23 years old)
I developed depression when I was 11 years old. (Sarah, 24 years old)
I over think a lot and couldn’t stop it, even a very little problem that happened. I tend to think a lot about it and get depressed. I just want people to understand me, that’s all and I don’t need help but I just want them to be there while I’m struggling to save myself. (Noor, 24 years old)
I wasn’t always depressed, but after my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, things got worse. I held on well for my mom and shut down all emotions. When she beat cancer and everything settled down, I noticed that I was feeling different than I had before and the sense of dread was still there. It took me about a year before I got therapy and medication. I was too afraid to tell anyone, including family, because of the stigma that goes with it. My mom came to visit once and found the pills and asked me about it. Turned out she had been depressed since finishing treatment as well so we had each other to help! Medication just was not good to me. I felt in a fog all the time, like I couldn’t feel any emotion including joy or depression and I felt like a zombie. My suicidal thoughts that were very minimal before medication, suddenly became very bad and scary to the point where I eventually tried to kill myself. After that I quit medication and just did therapy and I’ve been too afraid to try medication again. I’ve found things that help me deal with it, but it’s still very difficult. (Stephany, 25 years old)
Things in my life are great, I have a wonderul fiance and great job yet I’m miserable. I’ve had depression for most of my life and it has cost me jobs in the past from not being able to get out of bed. (Melissa, 25 years old)
When I was a child I was abused by many people, including my dad. My mum has disowned me, my little sister was taken into care and there is much more. Every thing just gets bottles up and then I get these throughts in my head. My mum said every thing was my fault so now I’ve got that stuck in my head and it just grows. (Stacey, 25 years old)
My depression started very young after my best friend killed herself, and then my ex, turned good friend, killed himself the same way two years later, my dad worked out of town a lot and my mom was a mean alcoholic and my brothers moved away, so it was just me and her a lot..which wasn’t good..I was a self harming pre-teen that didn’t know where she belonged in life. To be honest I still don’t. I was adopted into the same family as a newborn but I’ve still never felt like I belong. I’ve always felt like I’m different, that I’m the odd man (woman) out, the black sheep, etc. I’m still having these problems to this day, but I finally did something about it for myself when I was 20 years old. I couldn’t take it anymore, and instead of giving into the pain, I went against it and sought out for help with my doctor. I told him the honest truth, that I’m scared of myself- I’m scared what I could do with the anger mostly. Some days it gets so bad that I’m on the outside of my body looking in and I can’t stop myself. Right away they helped me by trying different medications and counseling. I had a baby in 2013 and though I love him more than anything, I went into horrible post partum depression.. yes it is a very concerning issue with pregnancy, so please take care of your pregnant ladies..I would stay home with him while my husband worked and hide inside watching tv all day long.. in the dark..I had it so dark all the time in our house that my poor boy got jaundice and had to be put on vitamins. Eventually I got dragged out of that state of mind and on the proper medication, which I’ve been on since. I now have two beautiful boys and a loving husband. Yes there are a lot of days where I feel like I just won’t make it, I just can’t, but I pull myself out of the bed and fight. If I need to have a cry or meltdown, I do, but then I keep going. I’m not giving up and neither should anyone else. (Anonymous, 27 years old)
It hit me after a bad break up with my girlfriend and left me unable to function normally. I had no motivation to eat, be around people, or go to work. (Jordan, 27 years old)
Sad to say but I never had depression in the first place. I only suffered with stress, anxiety and insomnia. Yes I understand it “CAN” lead to depression but at that time I didn’t. Maybe way down in the future, maybe not. So here’s the story, I overdosed on a lot of sleeping tablets because my husband and I had a huge fight. I was unconscious and taken to the hospital. The next day when I woke they said I needed to get further help and be trasferred to another hospital. I explained my entire story to the psychiatrist and instead of assessing my situation for a few more days they already started giving me anti depressants. Now the fight was just a fight and it didn’t mean I was so sad and distraught I couldn’t cope with life. I was just angry at the time and wanted someone to believe in me. To take notice and to care and I wanted it to be my husband. Although I really wanted to die at that moment I was not sad and down all the time before that. So now my serotonin levels were fine, but before that the meds pushed up my levels higher than normal. Then I got too high and started suffering with high blood pressure and sweaty hands and feet and OCD. So now because I was too high I used to go into a state of frenzy. Then they said I got bipolar and gave me meds which gave me Steven Johnson’s Syndrome and an allergic reaction where my body burnt with a 1% chance to live. So I was put off all meds as anything could trigger it again. Then I started feeling the real depression and it was scary as I didn’t know what it was, because I’ve never felt that way before. After months of being that way I said to myself there must be something wrong with me. So I researched symptoms and it came up as depression. So I started reading up and researching it and how to get out of it. As I was so afraid of taking meds again I fought it witouth meds and I literally taught my brain how to be happy again like teaching myself again from a new born baby. Then again when I didn’t need meds I was just going through a lot they put me on meds again which messed up my whole system again. At this time I am unable to fight it on my own so I’m stuck with meds again. Then they put me on bipolar meds again which put me right down and low which wasn’t helping so I got a second opinion and on anti depressants now with a new psychiatrist and its helping now. Been better again after 10 months of the wrong meds and struggling with depression. (Samira, 29 years old)
Got sick with schizoaffective disorder in 2006. Been dealing with it since. (Aaron, 31 years old)
I’m 31 and I have had deppresion and anxiety for 5 years now. It started as I lost my grandad 7 years ago and he was my best friend. It was awful and very quick. Then 3 years ago, one of my close friends was murderd by her step dad, so I haven’t had a real good time lately. I can’t go out on my own, I panic almost every time, but then I hate being stuck in. (Jessica, 31 years old)
At a very young age I began dealing with depression I had no help at the time. My mother was a alcoholic and no one else understood. I thought by trying to end my life I wouldn’t have to deal with it anymore. I tried to end my life twice, I made the wrong choice, I caused myself brain damage, heart failure and began having seizures. I made it out alive and I am thankful and because of that I will continue to help others to fight the battle. I still fight the battle but my passion now is to help others and spread my story. (Elizabeth, 34 years old)
I was diagnosed after a breakup in college. It was also around the time the twin towers were attacked. I was crying a lot and couldn’t keep up with school work etc. I have been on antidepressants ever since, 16 years. I managed to have two children. One pregnancy off medications completely. The other one I was on an SSRI the whole pregnancy. My daughter was born with trouble breathing because of it. (Abbie, 37 years old)
I’ve had depression on and off my entire life. I’ve used alcohol and drugs to hide away from the pain but it didn’t always work. After a few years of being pretty stable I had my 2nd child and everything started to fall apart. I didn’t sleep and and I was stressed and it just built from there. Then I had a family tragedy and I realized I needed to get help. That was two years ago and I still go up and down. (Stephanie, 38 years old)
I’ve been dealing with depression for most of my life, but I was well into my adult years before I realized that’s what it was. I was always a sensitive child, and little things affected me more than most. At age 11 I got my heart broken for the first time, and it still hurts to think about. My dad lost his law practice when I was 12 and spent a year dealing with the emotional and financial fallout. He landed on his feet, but I still remember his pain and felt sad I couldn’t protect him from it. I developed a pornography addiction at a young age as a way to self-medicate. I distracted myself with school and work and personal projects in unhealthy ways, overbooking myself in an effort to avoid having to feel my emotions. These created a lot of marital problems and increased my reliance on addiction. After losing a job I’d held for 14 years due to depression and anxiety, I decided I needed outside help. I started seeing a therapist, which did wonders for me. Now I’m in school to become a therapist, and I’m focusing on my needs for rest and relaxation more than ever before. I’m finally allowing myself to feel my feelings. Depression can be debilitating and draining, but it can also be a teacher. (Gerry, 39 years old)
Where do you begin? From my early teens I suffered from depression but I didn’t know it then. It wasn’t until six weeks after the birth of my first child when I was 27 that I was actually treated for depression. It was brought on by sleep deprivation. When I fell pregnant with my second child, doctors said my chances of getting depression again were high but it wouldn’t be as severe. They were wrong! 3 weeks after the birth I began treatment again. After 3 medication changes and six months I was so ill I started having psychotic episodes. This was very scary especially with the responsibility of a 2 year old and a 6 month old. I went into the hospital for a couple of weeks so my medication could be reviewed and my husband took 3 months off work to look after his “3” babies. I slept about 22 hours a day and my mind slowly repaired. It was a very dark time and I don’t remember a lot of it including memories of my kids. Eventually, after fighting to stay alive in the public mental health system I decided to see a private psychiatrist. This decision changed my life and ended up keeping me alive. Those early years of my kids’ lives were very tough for me as I struggled with the lack of sleep, the overwhelming responsibility of motherhood and a husband working very long hours. For the next ten years I really just treaded water and then I started to wonder why my mental health wasn’t improving when the stresses of my children were easing. I started questioning things in my life to isolate what was keeping me unwell. It became apparent that my husband was a toxic narcissist and eventually I decided to end my 20 year marriage. It took a lot of courage and little did I know it would result in not only leaving my husband but also losing my brothers. They too were brainwashed by this very manipulative dominating man. Within the first 6 months I knew I’d made the right decision but there were numerous occasions I could have gone back. I don’t think there was even one night in the first year after I left that I didn’t cry myself to sleep. Then began the behaviour issues with my second son as he processed his family falling apart. I was very strong and articulate but very very sad. 3 years passed by and my thoughts started becoming very negative and no matter what I did I never seemed to win the battles in my head. I was in a state of very deep depression and I had nobody to turn too. I was working to put food on the table and keep a roof over our heads but I was just going through the motions. It was like I was sitting in a corner watching myself. I started hearing voices and I knew I was in trouble. I had experienced this after my second child also. It was a familiar spiral. I planned my suicide and I felt content at last. The end of my pain was finally coming! My boys went off to their Dad’s for the weekend and I began drinking. After 3 bottles of wine and all my goodbye letters sitting on my printer I went to the medicine cabinet to get out the pills I had so carefully kept aside. As I was looking for them I remembered I’d forgot somebody so I sent them a msg saying thanks for everything. It was enough to make that friend realise something wasn’t right and they came to my house and my suicide plan was interrupted. I was devastated! I was admitted to a private mental hospital and that was my home for 5 very long weeks. At times I wasn’t sure I’d make it through to the next minute. It was the beginning of a new school year and I was in hospital 2 hours away from my kids. I missed the first day of school, I missed my son’s birthday… I was heart broken. I had to send my boys to stay with their Dad and that really hurt. I’d ALWAYS been there for them and now I couldn’t be. I cried more than I ever have in that hospital. Finally the divorce hit me. I had hit the wall. When I was released my kids wanted to come home straight away. I wasn’t sure if I was strong enough. I was so very broken. They came home to me and I began rebuilding my life, our life. It was slow, it was painful and it was very difficult. It took about 6 months to come out to the other side and I truly don’t think I would have made it without my kids. They were with me every step of the way. They cried with me, they slept with me if I was scared, they cooked meals and kept the house running. They were just so happy to have their mum home. When I think of how unwell I was I am amazed at the strong person I am now. Very few people actually know about my battle and I don’t bother to share my story very often. People either don’t understand or they judge you and living with depression is hard enough without that. I always thought my boys were very unlucky ending up with a “crazy” mother like me but now when I see the compassion and understanding they have towards mental health I realize this journey has enriched all of our lives. Just this year they have talked 3 of their friends out of committing suicide and my youngest has written a beautiful song about living with depression. I don’t know what’s ahead for me but I know I will continue to fight this hideous disease for as long as I can and for my kids sake I hope I win! (Kylie, 43 years old)
I was abused sexually and physically and mentally from childhood so badly that I blocked out a chunk of my life. I’ve been in a mental hospital, tried to kill my self 5 times already and I’m 43 now and still suffering. I want it to stop already! (Ysabel, 43 years old)
A 4 year emotionally abusive relationship. (Traci, 50 years old)
I have been living with depression for 35 years and I been through so much. I’m on Prozac but it’s not easy. (Jacqueline, 50 years old)
I was abused my whole life, my dog was killed, I ended up homeless, my husband died, several friends died, my cousin died, my best friend died, my dad died, my son died, then my daughter moved cross country and I’m so lonely. (Kelly, 53 years old)
Have had it all my life. (Jann, 58 years old)
I have suffered with this since I was a child……half of my life I’ve been depressed and it’s usually worse in the winter. I have tried lots of meds and effexor seems to work a bit for me. (Cindy, 59 years old)
My parents on both sides of the family have had sucide and diagnoisis of bi-polar And I have clinical depression. I’ve tried several meds that are tapering off now. Hope to be med free soon. (Billie, 60 years old)
When it’s in your DNA it’s a challenge. (Kathy, 62 years old)
Whatever depression’s cause, managing it is possible. Life is worth living. (George, 65 years old)