Cover Story by Carolyn Stent "For my husband it was like living with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde."

Back to Table of Contents | Back to Main Index Previous Cover Stories | Send mail to The Voice Depression lasts a long time Lois kent orders a coffee at Starbucks. -Carolyn Stent. photo Lois Kent, 52, experienced symptoms of depression while in college but did not recognize them until later. She supported her husband in his pastoral ministry and raised four children, while struggling daily with depression. About seven years ago, she found relief through medication. Mrs. Kent lives in Gladstone, Ore., with her husband, Lynn. Mr. Kent is pastor of Greater Portland Bible Church. Mrs. Kent described herself as a behind-the-scenes person. The Voice: How would you describe depression? Mrs. Kent: Depression is not feeling like yourself. It lasts a long time. The Voice: How long have you struggled with depression? Mrs. Kent: I remember episodes in college when I would just sleep. Looking back, I wonder what I would have done if I hadn't been able to sleep for two or three days in a row. The Voice: What were some of the causes of your depression? Mrs. Kent: I would honestly say mine was 99 percent chemical because the change when I started medication was so dramatic. Three days after I started taking medicine, the difference was like night and day. The Voice: What were the first symptoms of your depression? Mrs. Kent: Overwhelming sadness for no reason. I slept a lot. I dreaded being sad when I woke up. My first thought was always negative, and then I had to battle my thoughts all day. That was very exhausting. The Voice: What was a typical day like for you when you were depressed? Mrs. Kent: Maintaining and doing until I could go to bed and go to sleep. For my husband it was like living with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He didn't know whom he was coming home to. I tried to maintain control in front of the children. Some days it got so bad that I didn't go to work; I just stayed in bed. Every episode got worse and deeper until I was hearing voices. The Voice: Where did you turn for help? Kent: I read everything I could about depression. I tried every suggestion in the book: the caffeine, the exercise, the diet, the vitamins, the journal and the hobby. Nothing worked. Finally I made a fleece with the Lord. I knew a doctor in our church. She would be at a women's meeting that night. I said to the Lord, "If I am supposed to see a doctor, help me talk to this woman tonight." I was waiting for my husband to pick me up when the doctor came back into the restroom by herself. I felt like I had to talk to her. She told me there is medication to treat depression and recommended I see my primary care doctor. My doctor sent me to a psychiatrist. That was hard. I thought I must be crazy. In the psychiatrist's office all I did was cry. I don't know why. She agreed with my doctor that there wasn't anything weird going on with my brain and suggested medication. The first medicine I tried worked for me, so I feel very fortunate. I've been on medication for seven years. The Voice: What were some of the pressures or stresses in your life that aggravated your depression? Mrs. Kent: I don't think they were anything any other mother of four teen-agers doesn't go through. Like I said to my husband, I basically felt like a single mom because he just couldn't be there. After my eldest daughter started college, I began part-time work caring for the elderly and disabled. The Voice: How did your struggle with depression change you? Mrs. Kent: I am much more empathetic. I am a lot less judgmental about what people do because we have never walked in their shoes. I learned to be a better communicator. I realized my husband had no idea what I was trying to say. To help him understand, I would express my feelings in physical terms. For instance, when he would call and ask, "How are you?", I would say, "I've been throwing up all day." Not physically, but emotionally. Then he would understand that it was a really bad day for me. The Voice: What advice do you have for anyone who suffers from depression? Mrs. Kent: Seek help. Don't be afraid of medication, and try different ones. Self-care. That means monitoring what you do by how you know it will affect you. Set boundaries. Be realistic. Be transparent with the Lord. He knows when you are being lazy and when you just can't do something. Back to Table of Contents | Back to Main Index Previous Cover Stories | Top Of Page Send mail to The Voice| Journalism department website © 2001 The Voice. No part of this publication may be reproduced in written or electronic form without prior written consent from the journalism adviser of Multnomah Bible College. All rights reserved.