Depression, No Laughing Matter

So I can't help but ponder my comment about my dad's depression. Depression is no laughing matter, seriously. I wasn't laughing at the fact that he has been diagnosed with depression, all in all it's sad that he doesn't want to take zoloft that may increase his mood and desire to live. It would only be one more pill to add to his, in all likelihood, 50+ pills per day regime. Maybe it could help him, maybe it couldn't. But treatment clearly has to be the choice of the one requiring treatment.

Over the years, or maybe most of my life, I'm sure there have always been people that have questioned about depression. Maybe not using the word "depression", but isn't that kind of what we ask people on a regular basis? "How are you?" "How are you feeling?" "What did you do today?" "Did you go anywhere or do anything?" Bottomline, same questions that one may ask to determine someone's level of happiness or depression. If my mom didn't like my mood when I was younger, she would tell me to go back to bed and wake up on the "Happyside!" If it was middle of the day, she would ask me if I needed a "Happy Pill". Yeah, like that ever worked! Good thing my mom never became a therapist or psychologist. Why is it the expectation of most that unless you are smiling and chipper, you aren't happy?

Every year at work, there is focus for a month for Depression. We are sent links in emails for depression screenings. I could probably give you the questionnaire by memory, probably. But why would I? It's not a test that I need to memorize the correct answers but one could know them to get the results they desire.

One of the symptoms of depression is a lack of desire to continue or participate in things you once found enjoyable. For me, I suppose by that definition I'm now going through some type of depression, but I would completely disagree. I'm just feeling that I don't want to stay stuck in the mud or in the same monotony. I want change and I'm willing to welcome it with open arms! I don't feel like watching or making the time to watch 7 movies a week, or play cards online. I would rather get outside to exercise - and fall off my bike - then to ride the stationary bike. I can say that my health and wellness as proven tonight are better off on a stationary bike though! I want to travel, to explore to embrace!

I remember going to the doctor a few years back for an annual physical. I remember the NP asking me questions about depression and told me that she thought that on my honeymoon I was suffering from depression. Mind you, this was years later. What I had told her was that despite being in Hawaii, I wanted to either go somewhere or do something and since we were on the same island the entire time, I was longing to be home. So that made me depressed. In reality I WAS extremely depressed at the notion that I had just made the BIGGEST MISTAKE OF MY LIFE! To live and learn...and NO pills, happy pills or not worked miracles to fix that.