Don't let depression rob you of your life

Winston Churchill called it the black dog. While in the throes of it, Abraham Lincoln described himself as "… the most miserable man living," adding that if his feelings of despondency were "equally distributed to the whole human family, there would not be one cheerful face on the earth." Mike Wallace said it made him feel "lower than a snake's belly."

Depression strikes more than 23 million Americans each year and is the most common and serious brain disease in the U.S., the Depression and BiPolar Support Alliance reported. Women experience depression at twice the rate of men. Depression often occurs late in life, and only 10 percent of these sufferers ever receive treatment. Suicide is more common among senior citizens than among the population as a whole, and two-thirds of those deaths are attributed to untreated or undiagnosed depression.

One person who had struggled with depression for most of his life described it as trying to walk up a steep hill on useless legs, using crutches, while pretending that your legs work just fine.

Unbidden and invisible, depression is an equal-opportunity illness, arriving on the heels of grief, major illness or times of stress, or because it is an unspoken family legacy. Depression is a thief that robs you of your life until you enlist help. Trying to kick depression on your own is like trying to talk yourself out of a heart attack.

That's what Jean found when she sought help during her second bout with depression. Menopause catapulted Jean, who is using an alias, into her first episode of depression. Medication worked, but after a series of personal losses, including her parents' deaths and changes at work, she was quick to recognize that that unwanted guest had returned. Enlisting help from the Behavioral Health Services of Central DuPage Hospital, Jean went into an outpatient program where she spent five days a week for a month in therapy with mental health professionals.

Having worked in education for decades, Jean knew that the signs of depression are not to be ignored. Symptoms include feeling overwhelmed at even the simplest tasks; a persistent sad, anxious or "empty" mood; feelings of hopelessness, pessimism, guilt, worthlessness, helplessness; loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed, including sex; decreased energy; difficulty concentrating; difficulty remembering or making decisions; insomnia or oversleeping; early-morning awakening; loss of appetite or overeating; thoughts of death or suicide; suicide attempts; or headaches, digestive problems, pain or other physical disorders that don't respond to treatment.

"I was a professional so I had to force myself to go to work. In fact, everything I did, I had to force myself to do," recalled the 64-year-old suburban woman. "I couldn't concentrate, I didn't want to face the day. I just wanted to sleep. I had lost interest in most everything that had once been significant to me. It was easier for me to stay home than face people."

Now, a year later, Jean is getting re-acquainted with the strong, assertive woman she once was. And she's eager to tell others the importance of valuing ourselves enough to seek help when we need it.

"We have to be mindful of taking care of ourselves in terms of health, sleep, nutrition, and our spiritual and social lives," Jean said. "We're too busy talking on our cell phones or taking e-mails. We never have downtime; we're always turned on to something. As a society we run ourselves crazy, and we lose our ability to care for ourselves."

Behavioral Health Services of Central DuPage Hospital and St. Michael's Catholic Church, Wheaton, will offer a presentation on depression and mood disorders, followed by an optional screening for depression, from 7 to 9 p.m. Oct. 25 at St. Michael's Catholic Church, Faith Center, 2nd floor, 317 W. Willow, Wheaton. Call Thecla Rettberg, St. Michael's Parish nurse, at (630) 462-5042.