In many families, being depressed about something at one time or another is just a part of life that you just have to work through and not talk about. Especially if you are a woman.
Well, there's just too much to be done to worry about whether or not you're depressed right? There are bills to pay. Children to feed. There is weight to lose. And school plays to attend. There are tax returns and refinances to worry about. There is a leak in the roof or a set of brake pads to replace. There just isn't time to worry about why you are feeling like you want to stay in bed until next year!
As time marches on thought, physicians are now being better trained on just prevalent and serious clinical depression is in our communities. They are learning that it just isn't good enough to tell people to give it time. You have to be proactive about it. You have to do something to alleviate what can be a long a torturous life for some.
The difficult part now is convincing many women out there that living in a state of denial is just not the answer. Think of some of the women in your family. Do you have a mother, aunt, or grandmother who drinks a little too much. Who takes prescription medication for a back injury suffered years ago. Do you know someone who pecks and grazes all day, while going about the drudgery of her day. These women may be self-medicating their depressive and/or anxious feelings. And so what if they are?
Well, women for centuries have been attempting to avoid, dodge, hide from, escape their depression without ever getting to the root of it. Are they genetically at risk? Environmentally? Has something disrupted them hormonally lately such as a birth of a baby, thyroid diagnosis, or perhaps menopause? And if you never get to the root if it - it is very possible to live with depression for the rest of your life and it's not the happiest life.
You can feel unsatisfied, unsettled and mediocre your entire life. You may have no real interest in life and all that life can mean; it's just enough for you to deal with day to day living. What does this mean to the relationships in your life? With your spouse? Your children? What legacy are you passing on to them? When you leave this earth - can someone honestly say that you lived life to the fullest. You enjoyed it. You made a mark on it. You cherished it.
That's the big deal about depression! It's not a defect or deficit of character. It's not weakness. It's real. It's very real. And it can be managed. Treated. Give it the respect it deserves. Don't blow it off! It will only treat you or someone you love very unkindly for a very long time.
Acknowledge depression. Ask depression to leave. And show it the way out!
Lisa Angelettie, M.S.W., is a psychotherapist, author, and an online advice expert. She has been helping people make smarter life choices since 1998. Visit her for Advice & Counseling, or take one of the Free Life Assessment, Relationship Ready, or Depression Screenings today.
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