Mental Health

So, I thought I would take some time today and write a post about depression. It is not my favorite subject to talk about but I feel like I have to. A friend of mine in the Hemophilia community recently committed suicide. I was in complete shock when I found out. I think it is important that people feel like they can talk about it. So here I am talking about it.

I was diagnosed with depression in my last year university I was about 22 years old. I found it hard to get out of bed and I stopped wanting to leave my room. Leading up to being diagnosed with depression I had endured years of being in an out of the hospital, thousands of blood transfusions and years in the hospital. So I don't think it was a surprise to doctors and family and friends when I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression.

I think a lot of people with chronic illness experience depression. Its hard being sick on an off, my illness is so unpredictable. I also hate the affect it has on the people who love me. They worry about me and it causes them stress and that causes me so much guilt. I often say I wish I could be sick in a vacuum. I wish I could just go to the hospital by myself come home and sleep it off without Zane having to take time off work, without my dad having to spend all day with my in the hospital and without my family and friends worrying about me.

The other annoying thing about depression is that the best thing to do is eat salads and exercise but when you are depressed all you want to do is eat ice cream and lie in bed. I don't know if the ordeal of having Hemophilia has caused me to be depressed or if they I would of had depression eventually anyway. I do know the two are not complimentary.

I also know that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Medication, Self care, counselling, and the support of my husband, friends and family has helped me tremendously. If you are reading this and you are depressed, it does get better, there is help out there and I promise the sun will shine again eventually.