Depression is something that not only affects the person struggling with it, but it can have a tremendous impact on their loved ones. Depression affects the family, friends and co-workers. And I speak from experience as I suffered for many years with this disorder.
Depression or major depressive disorder is more common than you might think, it is affecting over 30% of the population, that is more then 40 million people just in the USA alone.
Depression can wreak havoc on your mind, your body and your spirit. It negatively affects the way you feel, it can affect the way you think and even how you act. It can cause you to feel sad, to lose interest in the things you once loved to do, it can affect your appetite, your sleep, it can take away your energy making it difficult some days to simply get out of bed. You can have difficulty thinking and sometimes you can become overwhelmed with a complete feeling of worthlessness and even guilt.
Most people don’t realize how debilitating depression can be. I can honestly say that I have experienced all of these symptoms and more. I have been struggling with depression for 30 years, which is one of the primary reasons I chose to speak in public and over the airwaves about my struggles. I want to share my story so that people going through the same thing, can understand they are not alone. I also wanted to teach the people that think that you can simply shake it off, it is not so simple.
It is very important for the person struggling with depression to count on a loved one, who understands what you go through. There are many treatment options- medications, therapy, ketamine infusions, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. I would say that is important to create a team of people to help you – your family, your doctors, your therapist, your friends. There is hope.
Aimee Cabo Nikolov is a Cuban American who has lived most of her life in Miami. She is a trained nurse and the president and owner of IMIC, Inc, a medical research company in Palmetto Bay. She is also the author of Love is the Answer God is the Cure, a book detailing her fight against all odds and how she persevered.