|
|
|
Last Updated: Dec 12, 2008 - 4:54:39 PM |
Only a small part of the East
Iowa Herald is on the Web.
For the best in East Iowa news and
features click here to
subscribe!
Is this a scene of beauty or something dark and lifeless? It depends upon your perspective. For someone suffering from depression, that perspective is often the latter. Mitch Traphagen Photo
|
According to people in Victor, he is successful and well off. By that basic definition, he should be happy - at least as far as everyone else is concerned. But upon first meeting him, I knew he had a secret. I could see it in his eyes.
The problem was obviously becoming worse.
Not so long ago, I sailed the ocean making landfalls at tropical islands far from home in my little sailboat. I hung off the top of a skyscraper for a photograph. I stuck my head out of an airborne B-17 - also for a photograph but more just to see what it would be like - and I marveled at the beauty the landscape from the front seat of an open cockpit vintage biplane.
Eventually, however, I could barely muster up the energy to leave my own home. More and more, I didn't muster up that energy. I had to admit to myself that I had a problem.
In my case, time would not heal all wounds. And it was not simply an attitude problem. "Just get over it," are not expressions that work in this case. "Just getting over" clinical depression is like a lung cancer victim telling their lungs to "just get over it."
Clinical depression is one of the most pervasive of untreated serious illnesses in America. It is truly an illness as much as a cold or the flu are illnesses. But clinical depression rarely gets better by itself.
In any given year, it is estimated that 19 million people will experience clinical depression. But only around 20 percent will ever receive adequate treatment. It is estimated that six million elderly people are affected - something particularly of concern as older people tend to have a higher risk of suicide. But among the elderly, it is estimated that only around 10 percent seek help. According to recent research, a clinically depressed person is more than twice as likely to develop coronary arterial disease and is many times more likely to die within six months of a heart attack. In Iowa, elderly farmers have been studied as being particularly susceptible to the illness.
For many people, it is a problem that remains undiagnosed. The elderly grew up during a time when such things weren't widely discussed and people thought they should handle problems on their own. For younger people, there is the issue of a social stigma - worrying that being depressed means they are somehow weak or crazy. But it goes well beyond the emotional pain felt by the victim - it extends to family and friends as well - and it affects the victim's work.
If you think you may be depressed, you probably also think you are alone. You are not. In your community, perhaps even on your street, someone else is suffering the same inexplicable blackness. There is also a long list of celebrities - from big names in sports to movies to politics - that have once suffered from depression.
In an interview with CBS Cares, a public service organization of the CBS Television Network, Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes talked about his experience with severe depression. He told CBS Cares about once doing a story on the subject but not realizing that he suffered from it himself. He continued to get worse until his wife sought help for him. He went on to say, "there's nothing, repeat, nothing to be ashamed of when you're going through a depression. If you get help, the chances of licking it are really good.”
Look around and see - your spouse, perhaps your parents or your neighbor could be silently suffering alone - and it is all entirely unnecessary because treatment is available.
Iowa County Supervisor Ric Gerard is widely considered a champion of mental health issues. He has made it a focal point of his time in public service.
“People can do a self-evaluation from several Websites online,” he said. “Most people have access to qualified counselors or clergy. You could call your doctor. There are counselors, psychiatrists and therapy groups that can all help. Sometimes the answer is as simple as sitting down and talking with friends - or maybe exercise or going for walks. Sometimes it requires medication, sometimes it requires counseling. The point is to do something about it.”
Talking about it - admitting to ourselves there is a problem - is often the first step towards recovery . This is my story.
I had a job I enjoyed and except for a shoulder problem from carrying a heavy camera bag, I was in good health. I had a beautiful and loving wife and lived in what many would consider paradise. I had great friends and more toys than I ever dreamed of having. How in the world could I be depressed? Certainly, I didn’t deserve to be depressed. But clinical depression is not a state of mind — it’s a physical problem. My brain chemistry changed and being negative became my natural state.
In 2003, I experienced a serious personal loss and almost completely stopped sleeping. I went from seven or eight hours per night to one or two. On sporadic visits to my doctor for the shoulder problem, I would mention it and occasionally would be prescribed something to help me sleep.
In 2004, a whole string of bad events happened. For me, the future became something to dread - what horrible stuff was going to happen next? In 2005, there was yet another serious situation.
And all along I struggled trying to maintain a semblance of something normal. I took trips and wrote about them - many were in search of the “good old days.” Now in retrospect I can see that I was searching for a happier time not just for my readers but primarily for myself.
Somewhere along the line I stopped responding to emails and phone calls. I didn’t know what to say anymore. I stopped visiting friends and acquaintances as well. I had everything I could ever want and had no reason to feel like I did - and if I couldn’t justify it to myself, I certainly couldn’t justify it to my friends. I began to withdraw from everything around me. I avoided places where people might recognize me because they deserved to be greeted by an optimistic and friendly person but I no longer felt that way - certainly not optimistic, at least.
Finally, during a routine appointment, I told my doctor that I thought I might have a problem with depression. She asked questions and had me fill out a questionnaire. Even then, I couldn’t bring myself to admit the full depth of my situation. I minimized things on the questionnaire. Regardless, my results indicated that I was in the moderate range for depression. She explained the situation to me - we were now dealing with a medical problem.
I was prescribed an anti-depressant that has been used by thousands of people for well over a decade. To start, I was given a sample pack to see if I would respond to it. Hoping to quickly begin down the road to recovery, I took the first dose in my car just outside the clinic.
Many drugs affect people differently. In just the past few months, research has been published that suggests anti-depressants are only effective for the most profoundly depressed. In my case, I believed the drugs helped - but it took time and patience to find the right drug.
The first drug spurred me into a flurry of activity - initially. By the end of the day, however, I fell into a deep sense of despondency. It also hit my memory hard.
The next drug made me jittery - yet seemed to remove all motivation to move. I just wanted to stare into space. I didn’t feel right and I certainly didn’t feel good.
I was becoming concerned there was no help out there for me. The third try, however, seemed to be the charm. The side effects were much less and I didn’t feel quite so altered - I just felt better.
The drug, like all similar drugs, only put me in a place where I was able to see things in a more positive light. It was designed to help me help my brain chemistry to return to normal - but it still required that I deal with the underlying problem. And still, with even the slightest negative thought, I could feel the swirl of a downward spiral. With the drug, however, I had the ability to stop that spiral into darkness. It wasn’t a magic wand - it just made it possible for me to begin fixing myself.
A few months later, I decided to stop taking it. It gave me the leg up I needed to tackle the things that were pulling me down - but like all drugs in this category, a price was paid for that benefit. It has been two years and I’ve never taken it since but to this day I remain vigilant of things negative. Life beyond despair is good indeed. For someone suffering from depression, “good” may be only a few weeks away.
Anti-depressant drugs are not for everyone. Sometimes just opening up and talking will work wonders. But for those who have spent years falling into darkness, such drugs may open a door to return to a happier life. More often than not, a person suffering from depression will need help - from friends, family or a doctor - to walk through that door.
“Many people have this attitude that people with depression should just pull themselves up by their own bootstraps,” Ric Gerard said. “Sometimes there are no bootstraps.”
A reporter is supposed to report the news, not be the news. But a reporter is also supposed to be honest. Clinical depression is a serious issue - particularly so in a rural area where resources are fewer and a fear of gossip more pervasive. Yet as a reporter, how can I be honest in tackling this serious issue if I am unwilling to talk about my own experience with it? A year after my struggle, a young, seemingly successful Tampa television news personality took his own life. It was revealed that he had suffered from depression for many years. His was a needless tragedy.
Depression isn’t picky about income, status or gender – just a few weeks ago I saw it the successful man’s eyes; I could hear it in his voice. Clinical depression is not a failure, it is not an embarrassment - it is a real physical illness and it needs to be treated as such.
It is also something people need to talk about.
Reporter’s Note: It wasn’t an easy decision to write about this. But I hope in doing so, anyone reading this who feels they may be depressed will take it as encouragement to seek help. Or, perhaps friends and family members will see it in their loved ones. There is help out there.
If you feel you may be suffering from depression talk to someone – your family or friends, your doctor, your spouse, someone in the clergy or contact the Iowa Valley Family Medical Clinic in Marengo at 319-741-6789, Iowa Valley Mental Health at 319-662-4245 or NAMI in Des Moines at 800-417-0417.
An interview with Mike Wallace as well as further information about depression along with public service announcements from Wallace, actor Mark Harmon and sports anchor Greg Gumbel are available on the Web at www.cbs.com/cbs_cares/depression.
Symptoms of Depression
Iowa County Supervisor Ric Gerard has worked closely with Iowa County Mental Health services over the years. Gerard has provided a list of general symptoms of depression. It is important to note that having one or more symptoms does not necessarily indicate clinical depression. In any case, if you have thoughts of suicide, call for help immediately. Life doesn’t have to be that way. Help is just a phone call away.
General Symptoms:
• Feeling sad / blue / crying spells
• Loss of interest in things previously enjoyed
• Appetite changes - weight loss or gain
• Sleep - too much, too little, experiencing fatigue
• Agitation or irritability
• Feeling useless, worthless or guilty
• Thoughts of death or suicide
Symptoms in Kids
• Suddenly doing poorly in school
• Bored
• Physical headaches, stomach aches, excuses to miss school
• Less concern for own safety, recklessness
• Alone more - avoids family, friends
Symptoms in the Elderly
• Diminished ability to think
• Memory loss - usually associated with severe depression
• Unexplained physical aches, change in bowel habits.
What follows is a public comments section. This is not from the Herald staff - it comes from other people and contains their opinions and theirs alone. The East Iowa Herald does not control the material that follows. We do, however, reserve the right to remove objectionable material at our discretion. By that we mean that we will edit or delete any content that we deem is inappropriate. By posting your comments, you are stating that you agree to these terms.
Click here to report a comment.
Comments
CJ
25 Jul 2008, 09:34
Hi Mitch,
Thank you for writing about this, <> has dealt with mild depression for
several years now, and still takes medication daily, but has improved, and
we have seen similarities in both of our children, and our oldest has also
taken medication to get through some tough times, and is currently off of
them. I hope that this will help open people's eyes, and attitudes toward
this as well.
Thanks again,
CJ
© Copyright 2008 by The East Iowa Herald
Top of Page
|
|
|
|
Skies: RainTemperature: 64F 18CDewpoint: 63F 17CRelative Humidity: 96%Wind: S at 6m - 10kBarometric Pressure: 30.00SUpdated: 08:01:46 AM