Depression is a clinical disorder in which the brain no longer produces the proper amount of serotonin. This can happen for a number of reasons and can last for invariable amounts of time. For some reason there often is a stigma associated with depression. I even once had a boy I was dating tell me there was no such thing. Another man I know told me to “build a bridge and get over it.” For someone suffering from depression these comments were both hurtful and completely untrue. I was dealing with something I literally had no control over. Hard as I try, I simply could not make my brain produce the proper hormones again.
If you are suffering from depression you may feel a sense of hopelessness and guilt. You may feel worthless or unwanted. You may feel fatigued. For some depression leads to overeating; for others a loss of appetite. Activities that once brought you joy have now lost all interest to you. You may feel irritable and on edge. Some even begin to contemplate suicide because the thought of living has become so unbearable.
Single parents often struggle with depression throughout their life. What starts out as situational depression can ultimately throw your body into a chemical imbalance. Many single parents are embarrassed about their depression. They don’t want people to know that they are suffering, but without the appropriate help they are unable to pull themselves out of it.
If you or someone you know is suffering from depression talk to your physician and see what options are available to you. You wouldn’t expect a diabetic to magically make their body produce enough insulin; neither should you expect your body to miraculously produce enough serotonin. It is something you don’t have any control over, but you don’t have to go through it alone. Help is just around the corner. All you have to do is ask.