Depression can happen to anyone

By Dave Merchant
Coping with stress and depression is never easy, but it can be especially difficult around the holidays.

The pressure of the holidays can be a lot when it comes to the demands of shopping, parties, family reunions and house guests.

Whatever the reason or whatever the cause, people sometimes bottle their feelings inside, which ends up making them feel worse.

I have always been the type of person that is not very good at holding things in. Sure, I can keep secrets, but when it comes right down to it, I say what I mean most of the time and I don't pull any punches.

I have been dealing with depression for most of my life. When I was a teenager I was diagnosed with Maniac Depression, which, as many people may know, is just a simple imbalance of a chemical in my brain. There isn’t enough salt in my brain, so I have to take medicine to keep it regulated.

I use to think that was a bad thing. I have to take pills in the morning and pills at night. In fact, when I was younger I didn't go around telling anyone but my close family (who already knew) that I had the condition. It wasn't anyone's business and I felt I would keep it to myself. I found that this ended up really bothering me. I would hear people talk about the disease and make fun of it by calling folks “manic” or “bipolar.”

People like to make negative comments on things they either don't understand or maybe they are just ignorant about. Being bipolar is no different than having diabetes or high blood pressure. It is not my fault, and I really had nothing to do with it.

The interesting thing I realized once I came forward with my disease was that I really didn't have to be ashamed of it. In fact, I soon realized people respected me for coming forward and having the strength to admit it.

I had thought over the years that most of these people would have realized just by the way I would act that something was different. That was not the case. I had hidden by depression well from co-workers and friends for many years.

The point I am trying to make is that depression can happen to anyone at any age. People need to realize that no matter how bad it is, there is always someone you can talk to. Someone will listen to what you have to say. Being afraid to talk to someone can only make things worse.

I realized this when I first started with Heritage Newspapers in early 2000, and the CEO and owner of the paper (Heinz Prector), committed suicide. I was devastated because this man had all the money in the world and a life that I could not even imagine.

His death affected a lot of people and Heritage Newspapers was sold to the Journal Register Company. I felt that if he had the same disease as me and couldn't handle it, I was in trouble.

I reached out to his widow and explained how I felt. She was very kind about it and suggested I help with a study at the University of Michigan Depression Center that deals with bipolar disorder. I did sign up for the study and have been doing it for quite a number of years. It helps me personally and I feel good that I am doing something to help the disease.

The point I am trying to make is, people shouldn’t feel alone or ashamed because they are depressed. Instead, try to embrace it in some way and maybe make a negative a positive.

Dave Merchant is a staff writer at the Chelsea Standard or Dexter Leader and can be reached at dmerchant@heritage.com or 734-697-8255.
For more information on depression, call the University of Michigan Depression Center at 1-734-936-4400 or the Chelsea Community Hospital at 1-734-475-4040.