Case Summary  |  Me, Depressed?

I went to see my primary physician because I was always tired and had no energy. I explained that I had been dropping the kids off at school in the morning and going right back home to bed and only getting up in time to pick them up from school. This had been going on for nearly 4 months. I was truly shocked when my doctor suggested that I may be drepressed. I told him that couldn't be the case because I had a very nice life. I was happily married. My husband and I were successful business owners. I was also a mother to one son and step-mother to five more boys. Life was definitely busy but it was good. He said 'You don't have to hate life or want to do die to be depressed.' He said he would run some blood tests to see if there was any thing els going on but recommended I go to the Psychiatric Department and fill out some forms. I was immediately seen by a therapist and then a doctor and was prescribed medication that day. I was so busy with life and taking care of everything that it had been years since I stopped to think about how I felt. I didn't realize that I had stopped taking care of myself emotionally. I was always under stress from work or home but never took time to do things that I enjoyed. I was diagnosed with Dysthmia with recurring episodes of Major Depression. After trying a few different medications, I began taking Wellbutrin and it was a miracle. It wasn't until I started feeling better that I realized how depressed I really was. I had lost any enjoyment in life. I have learned that stress is a major cause of depression for me and can become extremely depressed after periods of high stress or long periods of moderate stress . I no longer take medication. I recognize depression when it comes and give myself time to relax and destress without feeling selfish or neglectful for doing so.