Before you got help for depression...?

Before you told anyone that you needed help for depression, were you ever too scared? If so, how'd you get the courage to tell anyone?
Answer:
I wasn't scared. But it took me a long time to realize that there was something wrong with me that a therapist could not solve. I wound up going to a hospital on National Depression Screening Day in October, two years in a row. I simply showed my mother the ad in the newspaper. It was on the second visit to the hospital that I was diagnosed and began taking medication.
As for you, if you think you're suffering from depression, TELL SOMEBODY RIGHT NOW!! There's no shame or embarassment in reaching out to others. Depression is a serious illness.

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I was extremely scared to tell anyone about my depression. I knew that some of it stemmed from my childhood, but much of that had been resolved in therapy. It was mostly a result of my body chemistry. I had thoughts of self-hatred, lack of will to live, and inability to perform normal tasks. I knew that I needed help, but was afraid that I would be treated differently or, even, hospitalized. When I look back, I realize how silly that was. I had scheduled a routine doctor's visit. When she entered the room and asked how I was, I burst into tears. She asked me a number of questions and I was impelled to confide in her about my feelings. I felt so much better afterwards. She helped me to understand that this is a medical condition, like cancer or asthma, and that there are options. I hope that this helps. If you suffer from depression, just know that help is closer than you may feel it is. You are worthy of getting better.

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You don't have to tell anyone until you are comfortable talking about it. One thing you can do is research depression on the web, read some books on depression at the library or buy some books or that deal with the subject.

If you open the yellow pages, you will find lots of therapists that deal with depression. Call as many as you want until you find one you are comfortable working with. There are lots of web sites that tell you how to select a therapist and the differences among psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, analysts, therapists etc.

Are you scared to tell a therapist that you feel depressed? If so then just find someone you are comfortable working with and tell them that you are scared when you are comfortable doing so. You can deal with the scared feeling first. A therapist might ask you what you are scared about? Some people are embarrassed. Some are afraid to examine themselves and need to gather courage before progressing. Doctors and therapists see more cases of depression than they do of the flu. It is an extremely common illness. Therapists themselves get just as many mental illnesses as anyone else.

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