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?

nal-it's true about men and depression- women report it at double the rate men do- there is still a stigma attached to anything having to do with "mental" health. Oddly enough some of the best sites I"ve found belong to the pharmacutical companies (HMMM..)http://www.lilly.com-health-mentalhealth

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I just got done having a long talk with my husband. The other night (Saturday) I did a stupid thing and drank a bottle of wine, took 4 zyprexa, and 5 vicoden. I was, have been, and still am so deeply depressed, I just could stand no more. I told no one, just quietly did my thing, and went off to bed. I could have taken more pills, so I guess I wasn't really attempting a serious OD. Just an escape. I slept all day Sunday. I managed to work Monday, but was pretty fuzzy and confused, and most of all, felt like I was going to explode because I wanted to tell someone but didn't want to tell the people I ought to have. I felt at the end of my rope. Between patients, I pulled over into a parking lot, bawling, and called LifeLine and talked to someone there, just to *tell* someone. That night I started feeling sick with this GI bug, at first thinking I was sick from the pills, but have been sick as a dog all week, and have what my husband had last week. Terrible abdominal cramping, etc. Meanwhile I had a CCK HIDA scan and an EGD for other probs..........and have spent my time sleeping or laying down, and depressed. I finally told my husband tonight what I did on Saturday. The worst thing is, even though I feel sick already, part of me wants to do it all over again. I've called off work every day since Tuesday. I spoke with my boss, and am supposed to work the weekend, and have told her I will be in...meanwhile my belly is cramping like hell, and I am so depressed I just want to die. I have a ton of paperwork I never did from Monday. I can't see myself getting up and being in the office at 8 tomorrow, but what else can I do?

In any case, my husband and I decided it would probably be best dfor me to just put in my notice next week (for 2 weeks). I can take a break through the holidays, then look for another job. Our savings would keep us afloat, but god forbid we had any emergencies......Of course I don't have to wait till *after* the holidays.......but I DO need a break between. I'd posted a thread elsewhere and got some good tips and what else I can do, other options.

So, if I keep from OD'ing before then, maybe I'll be ok. My husband has said he'll make me go to the hsopital if I get bad off, which I surely don't want......anyway, that's the deal, thought I'd share.

-from deep in the pit,

sphinx

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Specializes in Telemetry, Case Management.

I have been a nurse for eighteen years. Ever since I discovered St. John's Wort several years ago, I have been taking it, in much larger doses than recommended, just to feel halfway normal. Yes, some family issues contributed, but the depression continued even after the issues were resolved. I tried many alternatives to feel better, and just was draggy and sleepy. Ate 24/7, slept all day or ran all day long - errands, just driving, etc. just to keep away from home. No one here realized just how overwhelming it was.

My MD put me on an antidepressant in August, and it is amazing just how bad I really felt, and how much better I feel now. Most people I work with are on antidepressants or talk about how they think they need them.

Nursing is a job/profession/lunacy which gives you great guilt, great stress, and then wonders why you feel bad!!!!

I'm glad tom has plenty of time and money to do all those things that help him feel better, but he obviously doesn't work 12 hour days with an hour commute each way, and have a house, car payment, a spouse, three pets, five children and a set of dependent grandparents to take care of!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If I had time to go golfing and dancing, I certainly would!!!! :0)

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Specializes in Telemetry, Case Management.

Sphinx, I am SO sorry you feel so bad. Bless your little heart, I certainly do feel for you. Please, please, please go get some help. I found my internist to be extremely sympathetic and cognizant of the stress of our profession. If you think yours would not, find someone, please. Some therapy and medication will help you immensely, it has me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

((((((((((((((((((((((((((((Sphinx))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) hugs

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snow queen....I have had a psychiatrist for ages, am in between therapists (need to find one I "click" with who has hours I can get it to see.......and am on meds, a combo, have been on a list as long as your arm (med resistent)........the whole 9 yards. Have been hospitalized 3 times, partial, IPRT, even had ECT. It's been 2 years since I was that low, but it's come back full force, and I think of death daily, and have thoughts of hurting myself often. My pysch doc just adjusted one of my meds. If I had to in a hospital I would just be under the care of a new doc, who doesn't know me at all. I just wait, and wait for it all to end. For a long time now, everyone (old therapist, former group therapy participants, pysch doc, spouse, even me) has known my job has been a sourse of stress. It has only gotten worse, not better. I have been scared to make a change. I think if I don't do something soon, I will die. I honestly believe that. Literally.

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Sphinx:

I have been where you're at, with the exception of the ECTs. Please, don't give up. I know everything seems hopeless, and everything seems like an impossible effort:o If you look long enough and hard enough you'll find what you need, I guarantee it.

Have you tried contacting a teaching hospital in your state/area? I have no idea where you live, but even here, in North Podunk, Indiana, excellent shrinks can be found;)

Whatever: don't give up, please:nurse:

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sphinx, I sure wish there was something I could do. Please know that we do understand, and we're trying to give you alll the support we can over a BB.

Make YOU and your health the priority. I know it's hard not to consider bills, familiy, jobs, etc. But, go back to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Sounds dumb, I know, but sometimes that helps me figure out priorities. Right now, concentrate only the things you need to survive. Yeah, I know you don't care whether you survive or not. But, it may help you see through the fog, or the darkness in the pit. Survival comes before everything. Jobs, money, family.

Get away from the "trigger." In this case, it sounds like it's your job. Don't go back. Yeah, you're going to have a lot of objections to that. But, remember, the priority is survival and anything that isn't helping that HAS GOT TO GO NOW.

From there, you've been here before. So you already know what you need to do next. It sounds like you are already working with your doctor to adjust your meds.

One thing that has helped me a LOT is using the Alcoholics Anonymous 12-step program to keep alive. I'm not an alcoholic, but the steps work for many different situations. Sometimes to get from doing yourself in, you have to adopt the "one day at a time." If you are feeling like I have, sometimes "one hour at a time" was the best I could do. "I will not off myself this hour."

I hope this doesn't come across wrong or preachy. I have a habit of doing that sometimes. I am just trying to reach out to you, to let you know that some idiot stranger cares, and trying to give you what has helped me. Please post daily, so we know you're OK, sphinx.

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Thanks mambear.....I do have a psychiatirsit I like, I guess I might have seemed unclear, he is actually very good. I used to have one at our local teaching hospital (University of Rochester) for a while, whom while he had the personality of a brillo pad, was a good doc....he retired, and when he did, all his patients were reassigned to another doc who already had a caseload......this guy never had a clue who I was, just barely would glance at my chart, put me on a med, take me off it in a week if it wasn't helping (?!), put me on it again 3 weeks later, etc.....he was very disorganized, overworked, and not a pleasant man either! Frankly, I did not think highly AT ALL of their mental health clinic, and the inpatient unit I was on stunk too. My second hospitalization, the nurse practitioner who was assigned to me, came in my first morning saying I would need to be placed in a group home........this was so out of line for my case it was unbleievable. Esp as I was admitted directly from partial because I admitted I felt suicidal, and they found a paring knife in my lunch bag-which I had brought to cut my apple cuz I had recent dental work done! They said they'd place me in a one week emergency kind of place, but ended up putting me in the unit, on a Friday, without doing anything at all for me over the weekend. I spent the weekend writing out a letter asking for a review, which I got, and I was released to partial.

Anyway, I am babbling. My stmach is cramping, the hours are ticking away and before I know it I will have to get up and go to work whether I feel better or not. And I want to hurt myself. Imagine, my job stresses me out so much, I want to swallow a bunch of pills and die than go in. How sad is that. I'd quit right now if that wouldn't reflect badly on my future ability to get a job.

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Sphinx,

I am glad that you have reached out to us here at allnurses and let us know what happened. I am also glad that you have a supporting husband. Have you thought about talking to your nurse manager about taking a leave of absence for health reasons? You could get an MD to do the paperwork as GI? Then you can look for another job in January, one that has less stress, but you would have your job to fall back on. Or is it just too much and you need to let it go all together? Anyway, keep in touch, PM me if you like, I would love to hear from you, and as Mamabear stated, don't give up, please.

Also, is it possible that you are suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome? The cramps can be pretty painful. Have you seen a GI doc? It is all alot when it all hits the same time.

Blessings,

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SPHINX: you and i are in the same boat. i went to the local hosp ER last night d/t severe depression. they set me up w/ a social worker to see today who would take care of everything (lol) i guess you know how that went. I can go 45 miles to nearest psych unit. but i've been there/done that. multiple hospitalization have taught me they accomplish little. After the intake on tues, I will get to see a Psychiatriast in november. So much for emergent care. No one cares how i feel. i sat in the bathroom floor and cried for a half hour last nite, them fought thoughts of suicide all night. I recently moved here and have no friends. I have no one to talk to. I hate to dump this on my significant other. it's not his responsibility to fix it. plus i'm afraid he will turn out like other boyfriends--dump at the first sign of distress. So I hide it from him as much as possible.

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Et tu Carpe! I wish I could come over and help! Has anyone tried a lightbox?

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carpe_de_em, I'm so glad to see you post. I've been thinking about you and wondering how you are doing. Not good, it sounds like. I love your signature line. How true. Wish I had more to say, or something to say to help.

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