Depression - Finding your way out of the Darkness

By ABCN

Last Updated: Jun 7, 2003
Articles & News : Articles : Emotional Health

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The women I interviewed knew that life would change after a diagnosis of breast cancer. What they didn't expect was to find themselves lost in a 'dark time' called depression. When asked when they first knew they had depression, most women answered that it was hard to pinpoint. One woman said "it creeps in slowly until you are gradually disabled by it." Other women quoted six months to three years after a diagnosis. What was it like for these women?

One woman said she couldn't sleep and found herself crying a lot. She also had mood swings and felt generally 'low' all the time. Another woman said she couldn't concentrate at work and kept making mistakes. One woman said she found herself avoiding outings with friends or couples. She commented, "Why would others want me around when I didn't even want me around?" Others felt their enjoyment of life was diminished or all together gone. Others echo similar symptoms. Women who go through depression after breast cancer feel they have been cheated from "moving on" with their life.

On top of all the stress attached to a breast cancer diagnosis, depression is often disabling in ways that the woman is not prepared for.  One woman commented that she ran out of sick time when she was hit with depression.  Unable to return to work, she now had to worry about how to live. Her condition developed into physical symptoms.  She had headaches and vertigo.  She also found that the least thing made her worry.

Another woman commented that she no longer felt like a productive employee and left work so her employer's success wouldn't suffer because of her. Her self-value started to decline. One comment was that depression equals "loneliness."

Women often feel they are alone in dealing with their symptoms. The burden of feeling so low makes women feel helpless and isolated. Often friends or family do not recognize depression in a loved one. They know the person is coping with the after affects of breast cancer treatment and the fear that goes with a cancer diagnosis, but sometimes they don't recognize when coping and adjusting turn into an illness. Or, they simply don't know what to do about it. One woman said her family was "scared," but just didn't know what to do. Another woman's husband kept advising her to go for help, but she said, "I kept thinking maybe next month. I'll see how it goes."

In hindsight, women feel their symptoms should have been identified, but often people close to them are still coping with their own emotional response to a loved one having breast cancer and don't see the severity. What all the women agreed on is that people suffering from depression after breast cancer should get professional help. Some women discovered that their depression was called "situational depression" - the stress of breast cancer had put a strain on their brain chemistry and left them with a chemical imbalance. They were prescribed drugs for a varying amount of time and pulled out of depression to continue on with their lives. Other who did not have a chemical imbalance needed professional counseling to get them back on track.

While most responded well to treatment, others needed ongoing help. All agreed that getting professional help made "a big difference."

The message is clear. Go get help!  Find what works for you.  Step out of the darkness and regain your life.

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