|
|
Depression
A Family Illness
When one person in the family is depressed, the whole family is affected.
Rachel learned this when her older brother Mike was suffering from the illness.
When she was in 7th grade, she overheard her mother talking on the telephone with her brother’s therapist. That’s how Rachel found out that Mike was depressed. Her parents had kept it from her.
“She didn’t think I could take the truth,” Rachel says.
Rachel tried to keep her worries to herself. But she found out that doesn’t work. “I was very edgy,” she says.
“I look up to my brother more than anyone in the world,” she says, “and to think there was something wrong, and I couldn’t fix it, was the worst feeling.”
If Mike wasn’t happy, Rachel didn’t think she deserved to be. “I would just sit up in bed,” she says. “I knew that he couldn’t sleep, either, and there were times when I just wanted to go into his room and give him a hug. But I didn’t.”
Mike was taking antidepressant medication and seeing a therapist. Sometimes, his parents went with him. Rachel knew she needed to talk with someone who could understand what she was going through too. Rachel finally told her mother that she wanted to see a psychiatrist.
In therapy, Rachel, Mike, and their parents learned to communicate more openly, “It’s so much better,” Rachel says. “Like when we eat dinner, we talk about everything. I feel like I’m part of the family again.”
It’s natural for parents to focus on the family member who is troubled or sick. If someone in your family is experiencing depression, or another mental health disorder, and you feel ignored or left out, speak up to your parent or another adult you trust. As Dr. Paula Rauch, of Massachusetts General Hospital, says, “Everyone in the family deserves to be part of the conversation, and not be left to worry alone.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
It's A Fact.
Depression is medical condition that affects people of all genders, races, ages, and income levels. 1
People who are depressed feel more than sadness or "the blues." They feel hopeless and suffer deep emotional pain for prolonged periods.1
Two-thirds of people with depression do not seek treatment because they don't understand their symptoms or have fear of the stigma of mental illness.1
Of those who seek treatment for depression, 80% are treated effectively with medication, psychotherapy, or both.1
2.2 million American teenagers experienced major depression last year. Fewer than half received treatment.2
One in ten U.S. children suffers from a mental disorder severe enough to cause some level of impairment. 3
Mental health issues in the U.S. are greatly misunderstood. Young people living with mental illness are often teased and shunned and improperly diagnosed.4
In 2000, suicide was the third leading cause of death among 15 to 24 year olds.5
Dealing With It.
If you are depressed tell a parent or another adult you trust. You can also call: The National Hope Line: (800) 784-2433
Or you can visit SuicideHotlines.com. This Web site provides a phone number you can call in every state to talk with someone who is trained to listen.
Hear more about Mike in Depression: True Stories(DVD) and Words Can Work: When Talking About Depression and Other Mental Health Disorders (booklet)
|
|
1. Families for Depression Awareness.
2. SAMHSA.
3, 4, 5 National Institute of Mental Health.
|
|
|
