My story

[mike]

Hi everyone,

My name is Mike and I am 42 years old and married with two children, both girls, ages 11 and 13.

I was diagnosed with depression about 7 years ago that. When I was diagnosed, I didn't show all of the "classic" symptoms of depression. I was mostly angry, irritable, and emotionally inaccessible. I was also drinking and staying out late at night with my work friends. It came to the point where my wife basically gave me two choices, get help or get out of the house. It was not a healthy environment to raise a family. I went to some counseling sessions and saw a psychiatrist who prescribed me an anti-depressant.

I started doing much better on the medication. I was happier, my home life was improving, things were good. Then after about 3 years of being on the meds I decided on my own I didn't need to take them anymore. HUGE mistake! About 6 months after going off the meds I went into a deep depression. I lost interest in what i liked doing before. I started having anxiety attacks worrying about my job and finances (even though they are fine). I cried several times a day and many days I found it difficult to get out of bed in the morning. This all happened around Christmastime, which was supposed to be a joyous occasion. Not for me it wasn't.

My wife, who has been my rock through this whole ordeal, convinced me to get back into counseling and go back to seeing a psychiatrist. I am back on a combination of anti-depressant medication and I have generally been doing well, but it is still a struggle for me to sustain long term happiness. I hope sharing my story and talking to others who are struggling with depression will help me better understand and deal with my illness.

I also want to say that men should not be embarrassed about admitting they have depression. Like I said before, anger, irritablility, and hostility towards loved ones can be symptoms of depression. If I hadn't got help, I'm sure I would be divorced right now and who knows were I would have ended up.

Stay positive.

[dd-va]

Hi mike, welcome to the forums. It is wonderful that you have the support of your wife while dealing with these problems, a strong support system can make dealing with these types of problems a bit easier. So true what you say about men with depression too, so many times these feelings are seen as a sign of weakness and they should not be. It takes a very strong person to admit there is a problem and to take the steps to improve. Good luck to you!