Louise – Interview 36
Louise was diagnosed with depression when she was hospitalised after an injury. She has benefited from yoga, professional help and involvement with a peer support group and antidepressant medication. She now manages a community mental health organisation.
Louise’s parents divorced when she was fifteen and this came as a shock. She blamed herself, lost a lot of weight and remembers feeling physically cold. She was in a lot of emotional pain but didn’t know how to express this. With the support of her friends and her school she overcame this, regained a healthy weight and after graduating from high school became a successful chef. She travelled Australia and then went overseas for further training where she met her husband.
When Louise was 32 she injured her ankle rollerblading which led to an operation and eight weeks off work. When she returned to work she realised she wasn’t feeling emotionally well. She cried frequently or was silent, both at work and at home. Every day felt incredibly long and each day was harder and harder. She spoke to her family and saw her doctor, who diagnosed her with depression. He prescribed antidepressant medication and also suggested counselling because she was getting married in a few months time. Louise saw a counsellor who used guided meditation and explored some issues from her past. In particular she was able to make links between her time in hospital and her experience of her parents divorce when she was younger. By the time of her wedding Louise was feeling much better.
Two and a half years later her distress returned. Louise was working with underprivileged people, which was stressful because she took on a lot of their problems. She was also overwhelmed with family commitments and overseas visitors. She decided to go back on medication and also sought out a local peer support group she had heard about. The support group was very beneficial, offering support and sense of calm and order;, and was a real turning point in addressing her mental well-being. She continued with the support group and stayed on medication for two years. Eventually she accepted the role of manager of the organisation that runs the support group. Last year when her marriage collapsed Louise returned to medication, on a low dose. She has continued with her support group and receives great support in her workplace and from close friends.
Louise goes to group fitness classes, practises yoga and boogie boards. She learned the skill of relaxing and finding a balance of work and time out. Accepting her depression has been very important to her recovery. Louise now recognises what can contribute to her mental ill-health, like taking on too many things and wearing herself out. She knows that balance is important when she feels overwhelmed. She uses guided meditation techniques she learned from her counsellor, maintains her yoga and group fitness, and continues to take medication under her doctor’s guidance. She would advise people experiencing depression to seek out local support groups and see their doctor. She is positive about the future and looks forward to more travel and new relationships.