7 Healthcast: Defeating Depression: One woman shares her struggle
Signs include sadness, fatigue, loss of appetite, poor concentration, difficulty focusing at work, and changes in sleep patterns, but psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Bober says depression is an illness that often goes untreated -- with one in 10 people reporting symptoms, but only 10 percent seeking treatment.
"Sometimes people are afraid to seek help because they feel they're going to be judged or stigmatized in some way," Dr. Bober explained.
Linda Engeler was one who did seek help, and she says her life is now better than ever.
Though she has a great job as a nurse and a good life with a husband and three sons, she was diagnosed with depression two years ago after suffering a huge loss.
"I had lost my family -- my mother, my father, my grandmother, and my sister in five years," she explained.
Engeler tried to handle the grief on her own, until she realized she couldn't.
"It seemed outwardly that I was possibly quite a hero helping everyone, and then one day I woke up and I just couldn�t stop crying."
She got help from psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Bober and a therapist, with treatment helping her to focus on loving memories and move past the pain of her loss.
"Since then I've been exercising, I do yoga, I am involved in my community, I'm involved with my boys," she said. "My life has gotten so much better two years later -- possibly better than it has ever been."
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