I had a patient one time struggling with mental health issues. Extreme stressors in her life created intense depression, anxiety, and panic.
She felt hopeless to make a change or to see change.
She came to me for medical help. She wanted medication that might ease her mind. It’s understandable. And of course we both knew that no medication would change the circumstances in her life. Nevertheless, the depression was starting to cause other issues.
I tell patients that medications don’t actually treat depression. The treatment of depression is living life. Being around friends and family. Laughing. Crying. Sleeping. Eating. Exercising. Working. Etc.
But, if your depression is keeping you from doing these things, meds might help break the cycle…
If you’re willing to work hard at getting back to living your life.
Before we decided on a medication, I realized the patient had already cured herself. She told me something very simple. She had been thinking about “self deletion”. That’s how bad her depression was. But she would never do that because it would cause too much suffering to her mother.
Her mom had already dealt with the trauma of losing someone she loved. My patient would not make her re-live that.
This was an act of sacrifice and love. My patient was willing to suffer through her depression if it kept her mom from feeling pain.
Laying down your life for someone else is the ultimate act of love.
And love is the essential act of living.
Living is the cure for depression.
She didn’t necessarily feel any better. But that’s not the point.
Her healing had begun.
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