TheMommyBlog

Sunday, November 01, 2009 Family, Momversation

As of tonight, I’m back at about 78% capacity, so let’s talk about depression. Why not? I’m sure I wouldn’t feel great about it were I at full capacity, but ten days of swine flu has done a number on me. In that way the latest episode of Momversation.com, Overcoming Depression, is well-timed: I just don’t have the will to worry about what people think.

It was interesting to watch how this episode was cut. We all talked at length on the raw footage. I think I went on for days. It’s the kind of subject that once you’ve opened it for discussion, it is hard to turn off the spigot. Literally, in my case.

I am very grateful to Danny Evans for leading this one, and of course to Heather Armstrong and Alice Bradley, too, for being so open about their depression and giving us hope that it’s possible to get through to the other side, and perhaps even thrive. Or at least tap-dance because, hey, the kids need feeding and raising and loving, and don’t need to see that movie quite yet. I do hope someday, when they are older, they are able to hear about it, understand it, and come to accept it because we’ve taught them compassion and empathy along with the alphabet and how to put a tape in the VCR.

You’ve heard of the phrase, “depression hurts?”  It’s true.  Beyond emotional symptoms such as guilt, hopelessness, and irritability, depression also has physical symptoms, such as chronic aches, fatigue, and insomnia.  It’s not something one can just “get over.”  It is an illness that can affect every member of a family.  That’s why when depression hurts a person, she need understanding and treatment, not judgment.  Guest Danny Evans of Dad Gone Mad and author of Rage Against the Meshugenah joins Heather Armstrong of Dooce in asking, “How do you overcome depression?”

Have you had episodes of chronic or postpartum depression?  How did you handle it?  What’s your advice for moms and dads going through the illness?  Join the Momversation by commenting in one of our related forums:

• Becoming a parent, losing sanity
• Postpartum depression