Jepressi

By Deana Lancaster
Contributing Writer

SUSAN Precious didn’t
know what was happen-
ing to her.

It was 1974, she was 27
years old and a registered nurse
at Lions Gate Hospital. She'd
recently given birth to her
third child and she’d never felt
so low in her life.

“As a nurse | knew of
depression, but | didn’t think
it could happen to me,” said
Precious.

What began as 4 post-par-
tum depression escalated over
a two-week period and result-
ed in a complete breakdown.
She became delusional and
began to have _ paranoid
thoughts.

Precious said the next five
years were “really awful.” She
was in and out of hospital
while doctors tried to find the
right method of treatment for
her.

“J have a severe disease,
major clinical depression,”
Precious said. “But my illness
is now greatly under control.”

The West Vancouver resi-
dent is now being treated by a
combination of medication
and therapy that she said
“wipes out the terrible feel-
ings.”

Her depression stuikes in

wick and intense cycles, but
she has learned to recognize
-signals that a cycle is coming
on and gets treatment right
away.

“} get exhausted, irritable,
anxious ... One of the symp-
toms I get that is so typical is I
lose my appetite and I: can’t
sleep.”

Once she becomes de-
pressed, Precious said, she
begins to think she is an awful
person, an ugly person.

“] dwell on every little
thing, every time I make a mis-
take it’s a catastrophe.” She

also starts to think of ways to .

Argyle teen in
stable condition

From page

near 20th Street and Bellevue
Avenue in the West Van
library’s parking lot.

Police said members of the
Vancouver group were armed
with steel pipes and knives.

An 18-year-old and a 17-
year-old from the West Van
Korean group were stabbed.
The 18-year-old was treated at
Lions. Gate Hospital and
released.

The 17-year-old, who
attends North Vancouver’s
Argyle secondary, was taken to
LGH’s intensive care unit suf-
fering trom two stab wounds
to the body, said police. He
was listed in stable condition
on Tuesday.

The teen’s name was not
released. He came to Canada
cight weeks ago, said
Nickerson.

North Vancouver School

District ‘44 assistant to the
superintendent Keith Denley
said the teen was slated to be
released from hospital this
week, -
41 think this is an isolated
case,” said Denley. “The appeal
of the North Shore to people
living off shore is its safety and
it’s certainly something we
don’t want changed.”

No arrests were made to

ress time. . .

The investigation contin:

ues. ;

: mood persists for
becomes more severe, and

NEWS photo Terry Peters

SUSAN Precious has depression under control.

kill herself. Once she attempt-
ed it.

These are typical symptoms
of the illness. In general, if a
sad, anxious, or “empty”
weeks,

leads to _ self-destructive
thoughts and behavior, it’s
time to seek help.

Precious has fearned that
her depression can be attrib-
uted to a number of factors:

r.

genetic, biological and envi-
ronmental. Still, some people
imply that she brings it upon
herself.

“I’ve had people say to me,
‘Why don’t you just pull up
your socks? Why don’t you just
get busy? If you got busy you
wouldn't have time to get
sick’.”

These days she volunteers /
her time with Partnerships /
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Mental Health Association
(CMHA), and the B.C.
Schizophrenia Society, She tells
her story and speaks out about
depression.

“TP want to reach people and
help give a better understand-
ing of what a mental illness is.
Pwant to help remove the stig-
ma that is attached to it.”

Tomorrow is National
Depression Screening Day, an
event to educate people about
depression. It is also an oppor-
tunity for people who think
they may be suffering from
depression to find out and get
help.

On the North Shore,
screening will take place at the
CMHA Community Program
Centre, 1075A Marine Dr, in
North Vancouver.

Participants can take a free
self-test and then discuss it
with a mental health profes-
sional.

Last year on the North
Shore, 110 people were
screened and 72% showed
signs of maderate or severe
depression.

If you are suffering ftom
depression, said Precious, you
need to get help. “Go to
Depression Screening Day if
you think you might have a
problem. Even though I have a
major disease, 1 live a very

happy, normal life.”

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