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Mum of two shares her story of  dealing depression and why people shouldn’t feel ashamed to seek help.

Katie wrote on her Facebook page, Lovely in the Dark, “See this little blue pill I am holding, It’s my lifeline. It is Paroxetine 30 mg. AKA Paxil. AKA a SSRI anti-depressant prescription drug. I take this once a day, everyday.

“No, this is not a cure all pill. But it is the biggest weapon I have in fighting my disease. That’s right. My mental illness is a disease. One that could kill me if I allowed it too. Although my depression with anxiety is invisible to most people, I see daily how it effects my life. If I didn’t have this little blue pill to assist me, depression would start to show externally. I wouldn’t be able to function properly. I wouldn’t eat. Sleep would be non existent. Tears would never stop. My body would constantly be tense. Almost like I am living in slow motion.

“This pill isn’t scary. It didn’t change me. No. It brought me back. It stopped allowing depression to run my life. For so long, I was feeling so many different, irrational things. Nothing made sense. Actions I was doing. Thoughts I was thinking. Personality traits that didn’t fit who I am.

“This is me. Katie. A strong, brave, bold, woman, mother, sister, daughter, friend. I live with a disease called depression with anxiety. I take a medication everyday to help me monitor and control my illness. I have no shame in how I need to handle my depression.

“I will take a pill everyday for the rest of my life. I will die with this disease. But it will not kill me. It will not run my life. It will not control how I live.
Never. I do that. With the grace from God and all the power He holds. He grants me the strength to be who I am with this disease. He makes it possible for me to have this little pill to take with my morning coffee.

“Don’t be afraid. Don’t be scared that a medication is needed to handle your disease. Mental illness is no different from diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol. Be more afraid of what your life is without it. Of what you are missing. Claim you again.

“My name is Katie. I am 1 in 5. I take a prescription medicine daily to handle my depression with anxiety. And I have no shame.”

Her post has attracted nearly 13,000 shares and over 19K reactions.

Katie’s post was shared on Scary Mommy Facebook page and attracted 9,000 shares and over 33K reactions.

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  • You look so well Katie. I’m glad that pill is helping you keep going everyday. Mental illness is shit because it can’t be seen. I am on antidepressants myself and have been for many years. Depression runs in my family and 3 of my illnesses cause depression as well. I take my tablets regularly because I’m worried the next time I won’t be found in time. We don’t choose to be this way that’s for sure. Keep strong Katie.

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  • You do what you gotta do to get through it. She’s doing well to understand herself so well.

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  • Brave of her to speak out !

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  • Anti depressants can certainly be helpful for some people at some times. Personally I do think however that it always should go hand in hand with therapy to work at the underlaying cause of the depression / anxiety.

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  • Some people never get off the medication but it makes Thier lives much more livable. How do I know. I have taken an antidepressant for nearly twenty years. I have tried to come off them but have never succeeded. Due to a very low serotonin uptake.it makes my life very dark. I fall within hours of not taking them:- I would rather live with them. I am a much happier person. More needs to be done to help people understand mental illnesses.

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  • Very brave of her – and quite right.

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  • Absolutely. Too many people thing that depression is not an illness because it’s not as visible as a broken leg for example. But it hurts as much. Actually even more, because you don’t know for sure how long it will take before you feel “normal” again!!

    Reply

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