Health & Wellness

Soldier Hopes Personal Story Will Help Others

batch — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 04:05:20 -0500

Army Captain Emily Stehr worked as a physical therapist helping other soldiers in Iraq, but after returning from deployment she found herself fighting against feelings of suicide.

In an interview with American Forces Press Service, Stehr said she wants others to read her personal story of living with depression and be motivated to seek help.

My Darkest Hour

admin — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 15:13:19 -0500

Like most people, I'd had days when I felt blue and it took more of an effort than usual to get through the things I had to do.

But I always snapped out of it.

Before I knew it, I would be corralling another reluctant interview subject for 60 Minutes or trying to whip a crosscourt forehand past my opponent in a tennis match.

Relentless as ever, basically. (And a pain in the neck to my colleagues at CBS News, who claim that "Mike Wallace is here" are the four most dreaded words in the English language.)

The Fish Cure

admin — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 09:32:00 -0600

The TV was on, but I couldn't tell you what show or what channel. I wasn't really watching. From my bed I stared out the window onto a meadow of native grasses and trees.

The four acres we were renting in Yacolt, Washington, in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains were pretty as a painting—a perfect romping place for my wife Marilyn's horses.

But since suffering a pair of strokes in 2004, I didn't care much about anything. My whole life had turned a kind of gray. Living was an effort, not a joy. A dreary chore.

Midnight Choice

batch — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:19:07 -0500

Back when I was expecting my second child, I was miserable and despondent. It was a difficult pregnancy. I gained a lot of weight. My morning sickness lasted all day. My doctor gave me little comfort—he said it was all in my head. But the nausea and anxiety were as real to me as the pain I felt where my baby's head pressed into my hipbone and his feet pushed at my rib cage. I felt very much alone.

Surviving Postpartum Depression

jbloustein — Fri, 29 May 2009 14:34:48 -0500

In the early weeks of my first pregnancy, I braced myself for the misery of morning sickness.

At seven weeks, when the nausea hit, it was worse than I'd imagined. I had pictured an upset stomach, maybe a bit of vomiting in the morning. I hadn't foreseen an all-day sickness that made my mouth taste like dirt and made me loathe even the thought of food.

But I found comfort knowing I wasn't alone. As I gagged on Saltine crackers, I reminded myself that it was a normal part of pregnancy. It would come to an end.

Rise Up Over Depression

mcherkezian — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:18:43 -0500

When I approached my third year of widowhood and the last of my four children were about to leave home, I felt very melancholy. It wasn't the first time I had felt depressed, but it was bad enough to keep me awake for entire nights. I seldom laughed and I seemed haunted by thoughts of "how it used to be." All my anticipation for life was gone. Finally, like a drowning person, I cried out, "Do something, God!"

A Gray Day

jbloustein — Thu, 07 May 2009 10:14:51 -0500

One Sunday morning in March, many years ago, I woke up feeling gloomy. Worse than gloomy.

I lay in the sheets looking at the gray, dull light of early spring coming through my window. Like an undertow, a great sadness washed over me. I got up and made coffee, but the sadness didn’t go away. What’s wrong with me?

The Baby Blues

admin — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:04:39 -0500

Thought "baby blues" was just a description of those beautiful baby eyes?

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 80 percent of mothers experience postpartum blues: headaches, mood swings, exhaustion and feelings of hopelessness three to four days after delivery.

If symptoms persist, the condition could develop into postpartum depression (PPD)—a more serious problem marked by panic attacks, crying bouts and lack of interest in mothering.

Five Small Stones

admin — Sun, 01 Jan 2006 08:57:00 -0600

Somehow I managed to drag myself to the women's meeting at a friend's house. I wanted to turn around and run away, but forced myself to find an empty seat. I rummaged through my purse, pretending I was looking for something. I didn't want to have to talk to anyone. Besides, who would want to talk to me?

You're Not Alone

admin — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 12:23:00 -0600

A stroke, cardiovascular trouble, major surgery or the stress of facing a serious illness can cause depression. In fact, according to a 2006 medical report, as many as half of all people hospitalized for procedures to treat blocked heart arteries develop depression.

"After bypass surgery, microclots can travel to a patient's brain and cause problems that can include depression," says Dr. Cara East, a director at Baylor University Medical Center.