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.
I have severe depression, for which I take Effexor XR and Remeron. This combination was found to be the best for the insomnia that often accompanies depression, and for mood swings. I also have a terrific shrink.:)
My immediate superior and two trusted coworkers are aware of my disease. Even though I work on a psych unit, there are few coworkers I would trust with my "secret".
I have no doubt that administration would be less than understanding, were they to find out I'm depressive.
To add to the mix, I'm also a recovering addict (three-and-a-half years clean by the grace of God)
We need to abandon our antiquated notions about psychiatric illness: nobody hides their "mental" family members in the attic anymore, and we deserve at least that much consideration among ourselves. I'm also epileptic and have seizured three times at work:cool: Nobody gave it a second thought, beyond some of the patients freaking out about the blood and incontinence.
I have been reading with interest, the posts in this topic. At one time I thought that the person who was depressed was somehow weak, maybe even a little crazy. But then, it happened to me. It seems there is usually an instigating event that creates a chemical imbalance. The imbalance is not nice. I believe that more women suffer from this chemical imbalance than men do. But is it a wonder! Our bodies are bounced up and jerked down like rag dolls, as our hormones surge and ebb.
I just put up with the depression until my daughter ended up going into couselling (teenager). When they got their hooks in me, it turned my life around. I went into therapy too. It was a great experience. I emptied so many bags. I finally started to understand who I was. I recommend therapy for everyone. It definitely gives you a different perspective on the world. In fact, I can usually tell, just by talking with someone, if they have had therapy or not.
Back to the antidepressants. I took antidepressants for about 7 months. AHA! Is that how everyone else felt? I no longer cried at a drop of a hat. My hormonal cycle no longer made me cry and fly off the handle for several days/month. I was able to enjoy, instead of cry. After going off them for 2 years, I decided to go back on. If taking a pill every day can help me enjoy my life, instead of cry, I'm for it! Like mentioned before, you can't tell when you take it, but you sure can when you don't!
Afterall....my icon isn't Eeyore for nothing. He gets sad frequently because his tail keeps falling off. I still get sad, but my hubby is there to find the tail and put it back on.
How true, AudreyFay. When taking psych in nursing school, I thought alot of this mental illness stuff, and especially depression, was a weakness. Yeah, everybody has bad days, get over it. Major depression was an excuse for a lot of people, I thought.
But oh, how attitudes change. Was on meds in the past, counseling. Off meds for a couple years at this point, only counseling on a prn basis (and it's been a while). I didn't realize at first was going on with me, but now, looking back....
It's nice to know I feel great now! Don't need meds, but that doesn't mean that that works for everyone. And it was easy for me to recognize it in my husband too. But we're both good now!
Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.
I find the difference in viewpoints between the men and women of the board very interesting.I would like to see more men respond.I perceive that many men feel that depression is almost self-inflicted...The attitude seems to be "Snap out of it" by going out and having fun ....or "It's a monthly mood thing" I have seen husbands of chronically ill women with terminal dx have this attitude...In that case I think it is clearly denial...But what about our group here?Any one have any thoughts?
Depression is a major stigma. I would not tell my boss or administration about it, because I don't trust them enough to know that some day it wouldn't be used against me. I have disclosed that I am on antidepressants to some coworkers, but it is only to those who are going through the came situation.
I remember when I was a nursing student, doing my psych rotation at on the inpatient ward in a hospital. A woman was admitted for depression and it was discovered that she was a nurse. Everybody working on the unit had a mixed reaction. To some it seemed that somehow this woman aught to be better than that, depression was for other people -- not for nurses (they aren't human enough, I guess). The other half of us (myself included) were really scared by the idea that this could happen to a nurse. We wondered whether the prefession would also cause this to happen to us. What scared me the most, though, was the idea that if I were ever a patient with the big dirty word DEPRESSION written in my chart, that the nurses taking care of me would judge me the same way. My biggest fear when I was going though my major depressive crisis, was that I would end up in the ER.
I heard, with interest, that a 20 year study in denmark concluded that suicide rates are down 50%, attributed to anti-depressants. But I still don't know how they would make me feel, or the kinds of things they do to people to make them less sad.
Pretty much the most challenging thing in nursing, to me, is a female co-worker who is very nervous all the time, and is anti-social. I consider it to be an occupational hazard I must look out for, and not let effect me. I feel other peoples sorrow and pain when they are near me physically, and festering depression is hard to be near.
untreated and undiagnosed depression is hard to have and to be around........
a disease process(of any kind) that is untreated and undiagnosed is hard to see in others and hard to be around..........
that is i am glad that the stigma is lifting, but i do not feel that it has lifted enough or maybe never will.........
As a nurse & caring person, Mario, I know what you are saying.....
it is hard to feel someone else's pain, but that is what makes you a great cna and an even greater nurse itf. And all I am not singling Mario out, this thread and the threads when stress, depression and other emotional heated situations are discussed seems to bring out the caring nature in each of us. We are different people, but we are much the same. It is nice to share this field with such great people as all of you.
IT'S NICE TO SEE SOME MAJOR HONESTY HERE, IT WOULD BE NICE IF COULD OCCUR SOMEWHERE BESIDES BEHIND A CLOSED MED ROOM DOOR.
I HAVE HAD SEVERAL SUICIDE ATTEMPTS, SEVERAL PSYCH ADMISSIONS, BEEN TO MORE COUNSELORS THAT I CAN COUNT. I AM ON AN ANTIDEPRESSANT, ANTI-ANXIETY AGENT, ANTI-PSYCHOTIC, AND A MOOD ELEVATOR. I HONESTLY BELIEVE I'VE BEEN ON EVERY ANTI-DEPRESSANT EVER MADE. (REMEMBER, I'VE BEEN FIGHTING THIS FOR 20 YEARS,) ALSO ON LITHIUM FROM ONE UNCARING DOC THAT SAW ME ONCE AND WROTE ME OFF AS BIPOLAR...WHAT I'D GIVE FOR A DAY OR TO OF MANIA!!!
AFTER ALL THESE YEARS I HAVE FINALLY FOUND A SURPRISING PLACE WHERE I FEEL I AM GETTING REAL HELP. BELIEVE IT OR NOT IT IS ALCOHOLICS ANOMYOUS. I AM NOT ALCOHOLIC, BUT A FRIEND OF MINE IS. I STARTED GOING TO OPEN MEETINGS. REPLACE THE WORD ALCOHOLC WITH DEPRESSION/ANXIETY AND IT FITS ME TO A TEE. JUST LOOK AT THE FIRST 3 OF THE TWELVE STEPS:
1. WE ADMITTED THAT WE WERE POWERLESS OVER ALCOHOL (DEPRESSION/ANXIETY)--THAT OUR LIVES HAVE BECOME UNMANAGEABLE.
2. CAME TO BELIEVE THAT A POWER GREATER THAN URSELVES COULD RESTORE US TO SANITY.
3. MADE A DECISION TO TURN OUR WILL AND OUR LIVES OVER TO THE CARE OF GOD AS WE UNDERSTOOD HIM.
I'VE TRIED TO TELL THE SERIOUSNESS OF MY DISEASE THAT I REFERRED TO ABOVE TO PEOPLE I THOUGHT WERE CLOSE FRIENDS AND BELIEVE ME, THEY DROP LIKE FLIES. PEOPLE IN AA JUST HUG YOU AND SAY "I'VE BEEN THERE." SOME OF THEM HAVE STORIES THAT MAKE MY LIFE LOOK LIKE A WALK IN THE PARK. FOR THE FIRST TIME I HAVE HOPE. THESE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND UNMANAGEABLE LIVES AND A NEED TO BE RESTORED TO SANITY. I SEE SOMETHING IN THEM I WANT.
It's nice to know you aren't the only one..I have been on different meds for depression for over 20 years. Celexa is the current one and it is working well for me. I jokingly tell people" I know when I miss a few days of meds...the dog ask me if I've had my pills. Anyway what are your opinions concerning the usefulness of talk therapy for a chemical imbalance?
:kiss You summed up what I've been thinking for a long time! I've been an RN over 18 yrs and have a 3 year old, as a single parent. Probably one of the main reasons I've worked agency nursing since she was born. Although agencies (some) can have quite an attitude if you need to cancel for a sick child too! I hate that guilt trip they try to put on you! I only know two hospitals in the Dallas area that actually has on-site child care. ...And I know about depression too! Thanks for your posting!
mamabear
194 Posts
Speaking only for myself:
I have severe depression, for which I take Effexor XR and Remeron. This combination was found to be the best for the insomnia that often accompanies depression, and for mood swings. I also have a terrific shrink.:)
My immediate superior and two trusted coworkers are aware of my disease. Even though I work on a psych unit, there are few coworkers I would trust with my "secret".
I have no doubt that administration would be less than understanding, were they to find out I'm depressive.
To add to the mix, I'm also a recovering addict (three-and-a-half years clean by the grace of God)
We need to abandon our antiquated notions about psychiatric illness: nobody hides their "mental" family members in the attic anymore, and we deserve at least that much consideration among ourselves. I'm also epileptic and have seizured three times at work:cool: Nobody gave it a second thought, beyond some of the patients freaking out about the blood and incontinence.