Nursing & Depression

Nurses Stress 101

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  1. Nurses and Depression/Anxiety

    • 401
      I think the incidence of depression/anxiety is higher in nursing than other professions.
    • 264
      I feel depression/anxiety has interfered with my job performance.
    • 260
      I feel nursing has played a part in my depression
    • 23
      I feel administration is as supportive to nurses w/ depression/anxiety as w/ other diseases

460 members have participated

While visiting in the lounge one day, we discovered that every nurse there was on an anti-depressant.

I have had 'Treatment Resistant Depression' for about 20 years--as long as I've been a nurse. Now I am totally burned out, on major meds, and am seeking disability d/t depression/anxiety.

I beleive years of long hours, high stress, high expectations and little appreciation (from management, not patients) has contributed to this.

How many other jobs consider you a tratior b/c you call in sick? And trying to get off for a sick child is an unforgivable sin. How many other jobs want you to work overtime on the days you are scheduled, call you at all hours of the night or day when you are off, first pleading w/ you to come in, then laying a guilt trip on you if you say "NO!" And let's not forget the mandatory inservices and CEU's that take time away from your family.

If any profession should understand the importance of the individuals' physical, mental, social and spiritual self it should be nursing--after all we are taught in nursing school about treating the patient as a whole, not just a disease! Why don't we treat our staff the same way.

Anyone out there in the same boat?

Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

That's great, Youda!! You know what they say about a journey of a thousand miles beginning with a single step...

I'll never forget the morning, when I was about 2 1/2 weeks into my AD therapy, that I woke up knowing instantly that I was better. I didn't know why or how---all I knew was that the worst was over and this was the beginning of a new life. Within another week I found myself enjoying the first honest belly-laugh I'd experienced in months, and by the time I'd been on the meds for six weeks I felt normal again, only better. So hang in there, Youda---better days are coming!!! :-)

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anybody out there have desire to continue this thread or are we all feeling too "normal" :)

love,

micro

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micro! Glad to see your former avatar back again!

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As the summer sun shortens the days, so my hope begins to fade. crying is the only constant. the "cancer of the soul" is coming out of remission. i cling to my God, not knowing why this sickness has haunted me for 20 years. i want no part of life. i walk through each day blindly, hiding fear with a mask of bravado--after all, it's not brave if you're not scared. there is a shadow that clings to me, trying to overwhelm me with it's with it's dark clouds of shame. to fight takes energy, but the battle has been long and the fear of lost battles haunt me. extreem fatigue, hopelessness are aching deep within me.

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Don't be afraid. I love for you to say you are scared. No more battles and no more toil. Let it happen. Learn the beauty of death. Unlike a god, or devil, death welcomes us all with open arms. Your never far from the best friend you can possibly have.

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Specializes in cardiac ICU.

Carpe de em, sweetie, you are not alone. I don't know what else to say to try to offer you comfort while you suffer in the throes of this hellish illness. If I were there (NORTHEAST MO:)) I would give you the biggest best hug. This illness is not your fault.

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carpe_de_em, hang in there. And, you are certainly not alone, as KarafromPhilly said.

My doc suggested I get one of those full spectrum lights. Has anyone tried one?

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After reading so many of these post, my heart goes out to anyone with the condition. What I am about to say, will probably get alot of negative post, and I am sorry. My wife is involved in a law suit with a women who ran a red light and plowed into her drivers side door. During this process, we have found out the women takes ativan on a daily basis. In the state of North Carolina, as with most state, any who is a habitual(daily) user of a narcotic, even under a RX from a liscenced physician, is not eligble for a drivers liscence. This women is now being investagated by the DMV for lying to obtain a liscence and driving without proper authority. If the police officer at the scene had a blood sample drawn, she would also have been charged with DUI involving injury. I called the BON and they said if she had been a nurses, she would have had a review board and could lose her liscence. With this said, how do all you people that take medication like ativan, xanax, and valium get to work? As much as my heart goes out to all the people with this disease, watching my wife go thru months of rehab botheres me more.

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Montroyal - I know! I am sorry you are going through a tough time with a loved one injured during a car crash.

It's kinda like a wild west atmosphere on the road when you have anybody driving. I'm not ashamed to say I'm a scared to approach intersections at any speed.

You raise an easy to ignore question: What effect do the depression meds haveon your reaction time, or eye/hand coordination. It just goes to show that everyone is different. Everyone is effected differently, at different times, from booze and pills.

I dislike depression, and still strain to understand it.

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Specializes in cardiac ICU.

Montroyal, I hope that your wife is well, and best wishes to her.

Tranquilizers are not an effective treatment for depression. In fact, they will generally make it worse. Antidepressant medications are not generally known for making people drowsy or otherwise unsafe behind the wheel. Of course, in many people, anxiety is a comorbid condition. I personally have a prescription for Xanax and I take a very small dose for anxiety PRN, but never before I drive. As far as I am aware, my state has no restrictions for driving while medicated, unless you count people taking antiseizure meds, and now that you point it out, that doesn't seem too safe to me. On the other hand, there are lots of meds that can cause drowsiness and lack of attention, not just narcotic drugs. So, hm.

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I am so sorry to hear about your wife! How terrible for you and your family. You've made an assumption in your thinking, that Ativan impaired the woman's driving, and without the Ativan, the accident may not have happened. You may very well be correct, but more information is needed to make that conclusion. For example, did the woman have other health problems such as diabetes, seizure disorders, etc. What was the dose of the Ativan, and the last time that she had taken it?

Also, please understand that Ativan is not used to treat depression. It is sometimes used when depression also has anxiety, sorta like two different illnesses together. However, Ativan is prescribed for other things than anxiety. We'd need to know why it was prescribed, and the woman's diagnosis.

I know it is hard to understand this, but, antidepressants do not affect a person's reaction time as much as DEPRESSION affects a person's reaction time. An antidepressant will often improve a person's alertness and ability to react quickly in an emergency.

No, no negative posts from me about your wife's terrible accidents. I understand that you just don't have all the information needed. And, quite frankly, I see more than one victim in your situation beyond your family. May the good Lord be with you and help your wife heal.

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i have been away from this thread for awhile.....

first, thx research rabbit for reminding me that me looks the best :-)

hey, carpe de em.........

I so feel your pain and struggle.....i have been there also.....taken many journeys and escapes, except the final one.....

there is always light, even in the darkness.........

crying is its own escape.........

be true to yourself and know that you have merit, even if you feel that you do not.....

and please, in what I type here to you on this public forum, I easily am reminding and speaking to myself continuously............

death is no ones friend.......

(there is a whole 'nother thread(i.e. euthanasia and spirituality) that talks about end-stage/terminal illnesses and pain.....but that is a whole other subject)

to montroyal.....

this is not negative to you in anyway.....and I wish for your wife well and for you peace.........

but again, we have not the understanding out there about depression and the stigma that still exists with this condition.........

please become knowledgeable about drugs and their classifications and their actions before you put a negative light on actions of a drug and the person using them.....

antidepressants are not narcotics, they are not sedatives......

they do affect the CNS in a variety of ways dependent to the drug..........

I am a nurse. I am a woman. I am a human being. I function well on the antidepressant that I take today. I am probably more honest with myself and my health situation than many people out there that say, no problems here.........

I am not feeling defensive here, but guess I do feel that I may be perceived this way. So perceive away if you must.

Otherwise hi, love and peace to all,

be well

one day at a time,

micro

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