Depression

Me: I am depressed.
Friend/Relative: Why are you depressed?
Me: I have a chemical imbalance in my brain. 

I have had this conversation several times in the past two weeks. I don't say those words lightly, and I am not being sarcastic. I am being as honest as I can. 

I began taking Prozac soon after my husband was diagnosed with Stage 4 prostate cancer. It has been a blessing for 12 years. Unfortunately, it is no longer enough. 

Are there life events that contributed? Yes. I am sure the death of Theresa was the first trigger. After that every little thing that went wrong (including ongoing car troubles) pushed me farther down spiraling into a pit of sadness. But they are not the reason I am depressed. 

Depression is a diagnosis and I answer the question "Why are you depressed?" the way I do not only to help others understand, but to remind myself that this is not something that will go away if I just cheer up. 

Thankfully I have a wonderful best friend who had that very conversation with me, and said "so what are you going to do about it?" She rebuffed all my excuses and sat beside me as I called and made an appointment to see my doctor on Wednesday.