My name is Patty, I am 41 years old. I have suffered from depression for most of my life; not noticing this until the past ten years. I feel that I have suffered a lot longer than this. I have suffered through many hardships in my life. My parents divorcing when I was 12 and that left me to raise my brothers due to my mother working so many hours. As a teenager I saw a lot of alcoholism around me, my ex stepfather, my father-in-law and my brother. Teenage pregnancy put me in a marriage I thought would last forever.
My ex husband was an alcoholic, and very abusive. We divorced when I was 19 and re married at 21. The next 20 years was pure hell. He was very mentally and verbally abusive, very demanding on me and my two sons. I saw my oldest son get most of the discipline. This would later have a serious effect on him. He tried to commit suicide three times. Never believing he was ever good enough. Life has not always been easy, I have tried to make the best of things and take one day at a time. I finally decided 3 years ago to better myself and I went back to school after 20 years and became a Medical Assistant at a local hospitals clinic.
I have seen depression come in all types of forms. Be it age, race or sex. No one is invincible. I wish these people could stop and look around them and see that they are not alone. I only wish to be there as a shoulder to cry on and let others know that they are not alone. There are people out there like us who do understand and are willing to help and listen. I do take medications and at the moment I only see my family physician. He is very understanding and helpful and I know that if I have a problem I can count on him. I also have one other big influence in my life and that is my fiancee. I will let him tell a little about himself on his own. He will be one of the other hosts for this room. I would just like to finish by saying that everybody needs somebody and that is all I want to do is to be there for whom ever needs it.
Sincerely,
Patty (Pepper)
