I have been going to a team of doctors for chiropractic and
physical therapy work. I noticed that everyone in the treatment area has
different symptoms and different treatment. No one is on the exact same care
plan. This is good because our issues are different. The same should go for
cancer treatment, thyroid treatment, or any other medical issue. They should be
specialized to the patient.
So why is it that people think depression is all the same and
should be treated the same? This drives me crazy. In a recent conversation my daughter
had with someone, he tried to convince her that she could just choose to be
happier. Because CBT (cognitive behavior therapy) worked for him it will work
for her. Using CBT and DBT (dialectical behavior therapy) can help many people
and can be a great tool, but that doesn't mean it will work the same for all.
Take my late husband for example,
on more than one occasion, I had walked in the room to find him staring down at
his feet with no expression. He couldn't tell me the last time he ate or even
if he needed to go the bathroom.
In that state of mind, no CBT or
DBT was going to help him. So you say, practice when you are healthy so you can
use it when you are not. That might work to a point, but when you have that
deep type of depression that should be called a brain disease instead, that
does not usually work.
I am no doctor. I am a widow that
was a caregiver that spent everyday with my late spouse. I couldn't even get
him to laugh at a joke when he was in a dark state of mind. He would stare at
me blankly and try to comprehend what I was talking about.
The bottom line, one treatment
does not fit all. Educate yourself. If you suffer from depression try
everything you can to see what works including therapy, medications, sunlight,
exercise, CBT, or DBT. Share what worked for you but do not assume it will be a
fit for others. If you are a caregiver, make sure your loved one gets access to
whatever is best for them. And then help educate others to get rid of the
stigma with mental illness. No one asks for this disease. No one wants to spend
days feeling like they are in a deep dark place. Love them, listen to them, and
let them know you will be there for them. I love you Marie and all others who have to live with
this awful brain disease.
