I Think I Have Depression...

In Pierce County try Semar Clinic. They have a sliding fee scale. They have Counselors and Psychiatric services and others.

Hi H.,

Good for you for realizing you may have depression and reaching out for help. It's not easy asking for support, especially when you think you may be depressed, and I'm proud of you for finding the courage to publicly admit you need some help, good for you!

I see you live in Tacoma and that you don't have insurance. I have one resource for you. United Way of Pierce County has a 211 hotline you can call for referals to mental health/medical resources. You can call 211, or toll free 1-877-211-WASH (9274) Monday through Friday 8am to 5 pm. You can also email them at ____@____.com. Their website is ____@____.com should be able to help you find a mental health professional or a clinc that can help you at low cost or no cost. I know that in King County, where I live, there are Community Health Clinics that provide low cost/sliding scale health care services. Hopefully by calling 211, you can get some referrals that will help.

Again, good for you for asking for help. Be proud of yourself. Your kids have a great role model for a mom, and I commend you for wanting the best for them. Hang in there. You are an AWESOME mom!!!! :)

H., I am sorry you have to go through this.

I know they are making a lot of funding cuts right now, but you should still find out if your family is eligible for benefits under Washington State's Basic Health. It's an affordable health plan for low income residents of WA.

If you can get yourself diagnosed you may qualify for a Mental Health Plan provided by your county. KC has something like this - contact the dpt of health and human services in Pierce for offerings in your area.

Also the 211 line mentioned below is a good idea.

Recognizing that you might have a problem and getting help is the first and most important step! Good luck!

Dear H.,
My name is T.. I'm a 23 year old mother of twin girls. I'm sorry you're feeling depressed. I think though that sometimes unpredictable or stressful incidences that occur in our lives can cause us to feel depressed, for sure! I'm sorry to hear about your husband. Have you tried applying for insurance? If you ever want to talk more about how you feel you are free to e-mail me anytime. You don't have to worry about going into details. I can understand when it's nice to just vent about life. I don't judge anyone so feel free to tell me whatever is on your mind. Even if you don't want any advice, just a person who will listen. We mother's have to stick together sometimes. I hope this helps.

All the advices here are very good. I will add another one. The best way to fight depression is to exersice. Your husband is at home, so put your trainer, get on the street and run, run, run!

Before I had insurance, I used to get antidepressants for free from the manufacturer, who I'm pretty sure gave away a certain amount of prescriptions for good public relations. I had to sign a form that said I was indigent, a blow to my ego, for sure, but it was worth it in the long run. Truthfully, there was no way in the world I could've afforded the "retail price" of the pills wihtout coverage, and if the company is willing to give them away when you can't afford them, saying that you can't afford them is a small enough price to pay. It's worth asking your doctor if they know a manufacturer who might do it. Depression is nothing to be ashamed of.

Talk to someone...professional or friend.
Get outside and enjoy the sunshine. Talk a walk or play with your kids on the playground. And enjoy the little things.
I'm not trying to simplify things. I know that depression is real and hard to deal with. Taking little steps to feel better is a good step. You could be suffering from mild depression and never be diagnosed. Some people only have a single incidence of depression and others battle with it regularly.

H. - At this time last summer my baby was 4 months old and I was feeling kind of . . . blah. Not excited about things, not wanting to take my girls out to do things, tired all the time. I thought I might have PPD. Finally I went in to the doctor in September or October and turns out I have Hypothyroid disease. I was actually really happy because it is treatable, and not depression!

See a doctor who really listens to you and asks you questions. It could be any number of things, but you are not well, so you need to get back into balance. It might be as easy as diet and exercise, or it might require medicine or counseling, but whatever it is, don't ignore it.

Blessings!

my daughter struggles with this sometimes- she feels a noticable difference if she takes a vitamin D supplement.
I give her a B vitamin complex, cod liver oil and her D supplement - this helps keep things balanced along with a healthy diet low in sugar and high in raw foods and good protein.

Keep a journal of what you eat and how you feel - keeping a journal will also help you to vent some of those negative emotions and help you to see patterns, mood cycles and depression triggers- having that info will help you to take control and get a better handle on your emotions.

You need chocolate!!!!!

Seriously - eat a piece of dark chocolate every morning. Also, take a multivitamin and try to take a short walk.

Pamper yourself a bit, quiet time or listen to music (all kinds)!

If these don't work - then you should definitely talk to someone.
Remember - we are all here for you - anytime you need to vent!!!!

As a former counselor before being a SAHM, I would take depression very seriously. There are several signs (google symtoms of depression and you will find tons of resources) but mainly the obvious ones - loss of appetite, do not enjoy what used to enjoy, feeling blue, etc. I just moved here and do not know Washington laws unfortunately so I don't know what resources you can use, but I would highly recommend contacting a mental health clinic. They would know what you can do without insurance. Most depressions in my opinion can be resolved through talk therapy (meeting with a counselor regularly) than through medication. Depending on the circumstances of course.

Best of luck to you. Motherhood is hard and we all have our ups and downs.

Hi H.,

I'm sorry to hear you are feeling that way. I have been feeling the same way as you. Didn't feel like doing anything I had to do. Increasingly lethargic and unmotivated. I finally decided something must be wrong and took 3 different depression screeners online, all of which said I was clinically depressed. So check out the screeners. There are tons of them. Just Google "depression screeners" and lots of them will pop up. (My doctor said they are pretty accurate.)

I talked to my doctor and she put me on an anti-depressant. After testing out different dosages, I find it to really be helping. I still plan to get counseling, but have not started that yet.

I realize you don't have insurance, but is there any kind of state aid available/. Anything you can take advantage of so you can at least talk about it with a doctor and get some medication?

The other thing she told me is that the one thing they find most important with depression is aerobic exercise. Get your heart going. She said it is best to do an hour every day. And if you can't do an hour, at least get half an hour in. I can't say I've managed to do it every day, but I do feel better when I exercise.

It's great that you recognize that there is a problem and are taking the initiative to do something about it. I hope you are feeling better soon. I know it's not a fun place to be.

Warm wishes,
C.

It does sound like it could be depression. I would urge you to keep talking to people - if you can, in any way, find a therapist you can afford, or ask your regular doctor for advice, i think its a good idea.

However, barring that, talk to you husband, talk to your friends, do your best to keep the lines of communication open.

One thing i'd like to suggest is a book:

http://www.amazon.com/Feeling-Good-Therapy-Revised-Update...

which also has a work book, if the book seems to make sense:

http://www.amazon.com/Feeling-Good-Handbook-David-Burns/d...

These are based on cognitive therapy, which is a well though of way of treating depression. The book will talk about some of the things that tend to make depressed, as well as recommend techniques for overcoming your depression - very specific exercises that you can do. I think it makes a lot of sense, and the work can be very useful -- and it will only cost you the book and some time.

Perhaps its at least at place to start for now - if you don't gain traction with something like this, please don't give up - maybe other doors will open. There should be some social support that can help you even if you don't have money or insurance - or a lot of doctors will accept payment on a sliding scale. Your doctor or social services may be able to point you in the right direction?

It is important to treat this - it could get worse, and it can also adversely affect your childen if you are depressed. But i'm sure you can beat it! Good luck.

There is a post below that suggests vitamins to try. I would like to suggest another, Omega3. It helps with moods and many other factors in your body. I myself suffer from depression and notice a change in my moods when I take this.
I know money is strapped right now, but this is not expensive and works well.
Definitely make use of any state funded centers. I live in Oregon and I know my county has its own mental health center, and base pmnt off of income. Also you can go directly through the manufacturer for free perscriptions. Just do a search online if you are given a perscription, and it will lead you through the steps.
I think it is great that you have noticed a change in the way you feel are are willing to do something about it. I did not realize the way I was feeling and, well, it definitely affected loved ones. I wish you the best of luck, I know how difficult this battle is.

I would recommend getting medical help as suggested below, but while you are waiting for that I would try to take your kids out and get as much sunshine and fresh air as possible. I used to live in Seattle and the lack of sunlight there is very depressing. It's nice that it is summer and you can go out now more often.

You know I feel the same way often, but a lot of it is stress. My fiance has been unemployed for a year now, and it's put a strain in our relationship. I am not as happy anymore, to the point where I don't even want to play with my kids. It's frustrating, but I found something that really helps me get through the day and beyond.

Okay so I self diagnosed myself, and you may laugh, but I noticed the past few years I was not metabolizing alcohol well, (no I don't drink much but I used to drink heavily for two years straight), and I just knew I was Vitamin B deficient. Vitamin B and D3 actually help with depression. So I started taking it, and if I didn't have any I'd drink Rockstar (it's loaded with Vitamin B) and I'm not kidding, it really helps. there's also these vitamins called sunshine vitamins that help with that too.

I'm in the same boat, Ive never been diagnosed with depression, I know I am, but I really feel strongly against taking antidepressants and becoming dependent on them. but with supplementing the vitamins and also I just joined a gym and have been going faithfully, I feel so much better, less stress and more energy. Hang in there, and if nothing seems to work, see your doctor. :)

Bach Flower Remedies
http://www.bachflower.com/

Love and meditation. Repeat positive words to yourself. Gratitude, remind yourself of all things that are good in your life (shelter,food, family, freedom). Listen to your heart and work on your spirit. Be real with others and see if they can respond in a way that enlightens you. It's okay to tell people that you don't feel good. It opens up conversation and you might be surprised about how much people really do care.

You need to talk to someone about this right away, there are a lot of free services out there that can help you and your doctor can give you those numbers without any cost to you. A professional can help you, for free, figure out if your condition needs medication or if you just need someone to talk to or a change of pace in your life, and there are many medications out there now that cost $4-$10 for a month's supply that REALLY help. Too many moms try way too hard to fake their happiness so as to not worry anyone, I did this for years until finally a doctor saw through my pretense and got me help. IT CHANGED MY LIFE, everything used to be so hard, a major struggle, and now I am normal-I have highs and lows but mostly...I am just living life quietly happy. Depression affects everyone around you, not just you, so please call your doctor and get a free referral to one of the many clinics around, this needs to be checked right away. As someone who was nearly conquered by depression, I can guarantee you, you will not regret this.

Most churches and some free or sliding scale clinics offer free counseling. Try to do something nice for yourself have some "me" time. It'll get better.
H.

I don't know if it'll help but I'd suggest taking some time for your self and just taking good care of yourself. Sometimes us wives and mothers forget to take care of us while we are being wives and moms and I know from experience that it can make you feel depressed. Super wife and mom or not we still need some 'me time' and to take care of us.

Good luck.

As far as medical insurance goes...I'd assume that there are either county or other mental health organizations that are free to those in the public who don't have health insurance. Be smart though...don't just go for the pills for depression...get the counseling too and feel better so you can get off the pills!

In the end it's up to you to do the reasearch and find a place that can help. I promise you they are out there...you just have to find them.