A Depressed Life
May 24 2011 in Denise's Blog, Your Caregiving Journey by Denise
Anna Stookey, our emotional wellness expert, joined me on Your Caregiving Journey this morning to talk about depression. You can listen to our show via the player, below.
According to a recent caregiving survey conducted by Caring.com, twenty-five percent of respondents stated that they suffer from depression, well above the national figure of 9 percent cited in a 2010 study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
And, it’s no wonder. So much of what happens in a caregiving situation can make you feel defeated. You can feel like you are lost without options or possibilities. When you feel lost like that, it’s understandable that you would feel despondent, hopeless. Depressed.
Anna and I spoke about reaching out for help if you feel depressed. We spoke about help in the form of counseling and medications. A short-term prescription for an anti-depressant can be a huge help, Anna said.
We also spoke about what can be an obstacle to getting help—our belief that we should be able to manage a situation on our own, that we are weak for needing help. On the contrary, life can, at times, just be too big for us. To face that bigness, we need a boost. And, that’s okay.
What has been your experience with depression during your caregiving role? How did you get help? Please share in our comments section, below.
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Bette said on May 24, 2011
What a wonderful show – thank you! One to listen to over and over.
I always have felt myself becoming a bit defensive when thinking (or hearing) about depression, until recently. This show helped to bring some of that dialogue within myself to a close.
I can see how the often mundaneness of providing care, could so easily lead to depression. I love how self-worth was discussed. We are so ahead of the game in knowing we are valuable, apart from caregiving, and in caregiving.
My mother and brother both suffer from depression – and have for many years. So many of us have genetics to think about, along with circumstances: as Denise and Anna talked about.
Just within the last few weeks, my mother will at times try and wash in the toilet. This morning I had changed her bed, and washed her bedroom/bathroom floor. I left the room for just minutes and came back to find toilet water all over what had just been cleaned…not the first time, probably the 20th…it seems as though “balance” enters into so many areas of our lives. Without breaks: caregiving can become very overwhelming, without exercise: we find it hard to gain the energy that we need, without social interaction: we lose the desire to interact.
I am so grateful for Denise and how she pulled me out of that “hole” years ago. I am grateful for accountability to her as I continue in caring for my mother, and accountability here to each of you.
It helps so much to remember what brought me to caregiving years ago.
It’s important to listen to ourselves and our needs in this “journey” and to listen to others that care about us.
It’s okay to need and ask for help. We can become stronger and keep moving forward in a better way.