Winning! Today, and every day, I fight depression. And I am winning. I’ve never really been sure how to say “I have depression”. It’s not like I have it. It comes and it goes, and usually it has me, not the other way around. I could say, “I’m depressed”, but right now I’m not. Depression is just an illness that I live with every day. Most people would never guess my extroverted self could struggle with such an illness. I try to show my brighter self in public. Most people don’t see depression in others, and that’s often by design. We depressives simply spirit ourselves away when we’ve dimmed so as not to stain those who live in the sun. Even if people see depression as an illness, they often expect individuals to get over it quickly, like the common cold. The myths and misguided expectations people have about depression only add to the stigma and perpetuate the pain of depression. There are no fevers, no rashes, coughs or sneezing - practically no visible effects that others can see. But inside there is a chemical imbalance that causes not just mental anguish, but physical pain as well. Sometimes I ache all over. It is frustrating because my life is good, yet I feel no control over feelings of overwhelming sadness that make me want to cry, feel helpless, and have disassociated thoughts. I want to stay under the covers because every thought and every movement requires immense amounts of energy. Sleeping means I won’t hurt anymore. I’ve lived with depression long enough to know that I’ll never completely “snap out of it”, and most likely I will take medication for the rest of my life. I’ll have a severe episode, and when it’s over, it’s like it didn’t happen. I live knowing that the cloud can come back and dump on me again and rob me of my relationships, social life and my career. But a severe episode will end, and I will feel better. It happens every time, and I have developed a few tricks to remind myself of that as best I can when I’m buried deep in a depressive episode. GET UP AND OUT OF BED EVERY DAY. I try to get up at the same time every morning. Make the bed. Have a shower. Get dressed. Take my medication. Hair and make-up. Eat breakfast. Merely getting up in the morning is sometimes the hardest thing to do, and is an act of triumph when you are buried in the deep hole of depression. Trust your child’s care to our experts. Sanford Vermillion Rehabilitation Services Receive the expert care your child needs here at home with rehabilitation services from Sanford Vermillion. Our team of physical therapists works with the local school districts in order to provide therapy services conveniently at school. We’ll partner with your primary care physician to ensure your child receives the care he or she needs. Call the Sanford Vermillion Rehabilitation Services Department at (605) 638-8330 to schedule an appointment today. Ryan Molencamp, PT 16vHERVOICE MARCH/APRIL 2015