Thanks for sharing your story. It takes guts, but coming out about depression will help others.

I've been treating depression for about fifty years now, and what you've related is so common. It is wonderful to have the support of the people who love you, but sometimes that support feels infantalizing.

The person who has experienced a mood disorder is under surveilance. If you cry your loved ones wonder if you're getting depressed; if you laugh too long, it's concern about mania.

I often ask my patients to use check lists of depressive and manic symptoms, and to choose one loved one to review these symptoms with upon occasion.

This is important for two reasons: 1. A person with a mood disorder often doesn't recognize where their mood is relative to baseline; the mood you have you expect to be normal for you. 2. It can be satisfying to the support person to see over time the regular patterns of your moods. They can then act as an advocate for you.

My usual recommendation for my patients is if they've had two episodes of significant depression or if they have a strong family history of depression, maintenance medications may be a good idea. It is harder to treat a depression than to prevent it.

Recovery may not be the best word to use for this process. One never really recovers from diabetes, but depression like diabetes, can be managed.

Congratulations on managing yours, and thanks for sharing your story. You have helped me and I'm sure others.