MOMVERSATION MONDAY: Depression Hurts: Overcoming Depression

Momversation Monday ladies and gentlemen! And my favorite blogger Heather B. Armstrong of Dooce.com asking how do you overcome depression.

Depression is a very hard topic since having my kids because I was diagnosed with post partum depression after having my daughter.

But let me tell you that I think, no, I KNOW I also had PPD with my son. But I was told to suck it up and deal with it. Or my favorite, "it will pass"!

The first person who noticed was the nurse who was coming to visit me and Ducky to see how I was doing. She walked in, told everyone to leave and started asking me how I was and wasn't going to leave until I got EVERYTHING in out! When I asked her how she knew, she told me that I was living her life 10 years ago. The next person was my own mother. She knew that something was wrong, and once she got a hold of me and moved me into her house for a couple of months while Cpl. Mayhem was at basic training, we changed my diet and I started to workout and we talked, a lot!

So my first bout of it was manageable. My second....

Not so much. My mother knew right away and got the nurse, the doctor and ANYONE who would listen. I hated it then, but I knew she was doing the right thing.

Why was I so against my mother getting someones attention about my depression? Well for those who have depression, you feel hopeless, like you can't function in "real society".
Danny Evans, author of Rage Against the Meshugenah and the popular blog Dad Gone Mad is correct in saying that having a mental illness in society means being crazy. Which makes it very hard for someone with depression to come forward. I wanted help but I didn't want the stigma of having a mental disorder.

I personally lose all social skills and seclude myself for days on end. Which is hard for my friend who try to contact me but I can't bear to call anyone. Not only is it hard for my friends it harder for my family. I can't play with my kids I'm exhausted all the time. I don't want to have anything to do with my husband and my parents who live in a different country won't hear from me for months on end. I get irritated with anyone who calls because I don't want to talk, I just want to be alone.

I've said it before it's like everyone else is going full speed ahead but you are just standing still.

I want to be healthy and whole for my family, and with medication and lifestyle changes I was able to maintain what I call my perfect balance. A good metal state equals a good life, the balance is even. When my metal health shifts, my life balance is thrown off.

Anything can throw my balance of but I have a supportive husband who now knows the signs and I myself know what I need to do to get back on track. My biggest thing: I talk. It's hard, but I do it because I know for myself holding it in only pushes my balance off even more.

How about we get rid of the notion that depression is a faux pas and give people with depression the compassion that they need. Because like Mindy said, I wish people would have talked to me more. And many don't know how to ask for help.

Compassion, that's what we need.