Depression Hit While Lost in Africa
Hey to all my friends who can understand depression. This is going back many years, but I carry the memory forever.
To put it short, I was in Gabon, Africa , due to my husband's assignment in the military. We were given a beautiful condo, by the ocean, and we were in a compound that was protected with a 24 hour guard.
Depression hit when I was far from home
Anyway, being a young mother of a 3 yr old and a 1 year old, away from my family I the United States, and I was only 22, it was a change on my brain. I became so depressed and only thought of the worst outcome for my family. All the things i did wrong, to get me and my boys in this situation..
When my husband came home from work, he was the only one I could confide in, and I ended up crying curled up on the floor. I was trying to tell him how I felt. He was responding in his military way, and said " get a grip!! You are not the person I married!".
So he eventually called for the regional psychiatrist (military assistance), and he evaluated me and my husband. He said he thought it was an environmental problem. He was right. Said he could prescribe drugs, or, he could recommend we leave the post early. I was very concerned about damaging my husband's service record, but were assured it wouldn't matter. So, we left Gabon about 6 months early.
The minutes I came off the plane and 🫂 hugged my sister's and mother, I was cured. It was amazing, and I didn't need drugs until about 10 years later.
Looking back on our deployment
I experienced such sadness in Gabon. I dreamed that I should give my kids up for adoption, because we couldn't give them what they deserve....looking back, I am so ashamed. My husband told me, at the time, " you just don't want to be a mother!" Said "fine, go! I'll raise them!".
Anyway, it's been a long time ago, now our boys are 38 and 40! The miracle is, my husband and I are still happily married and will celebrate 42 years of marriage in May.
I hope this story might help anyone with severe depression, because I understand it, going through it. God bless y'all.