FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM SEPTEMBER 19, 2019 • WELLNESS • THE QUEENS COURIER 47
wellness
Speaking up to defeat depression: A survivor shares her story
Depression has impacted Kristen Davis’
life since she was a teen. It has caused
her unbearable emotional pain, fi lled her
mind with suicidal thoughts, and blocked
her path to personal and professional fulfi
llment.
Now at age 31, she sees herself as a survivor
- overcoming her darkest days to
fi nally achieve the mental stability that has
enabled her to live a healthier and productive
life.
“It takes great strength to conquer mental
illness, just like any other debilitating
disease,” says Davis. “People who can
learn to manage their illness and rebuild
their lives truly are survivors.”
Painful lifelong struggle
Davis fi rst experienced depressive
thoughts in high school. Her struggle with
depression worsened during her college
years, marked by depressive episodes that
included prolonged sadness, anxiety and a
feeling of worthlessness. She reached her
lowest point a few years later when entering
graduate school.
“When I started graduate school in
2014, the stress of being back in school
and other new responsibilities took a toll
on me,” says Davis. “I had cycled off an
antidepressant I was taking and was vulnerable.
My depressive episodes became
most intense and frequent. I began to have
anxiety attacks and daily suicidal ideation,
which led to an incident of self-harm. I
could hardly sleep and was crying all the
time. I felt like I was losing my mind.”
As her depression became insurmountable,
Davis entered the psychiatric ward of
a Washington, D.C.-area hospital seeking
help. Ultimately, her battle with mental
illness caused her to leave graduate school
aft er only a few months.
The challenge of treatment
resistance
During the next year and a half, Davis
and her family desperately sought a way
out of the abyss of mental illness that was
crippling her life. She saw over 20 diff erent
mental health professionals, tried 15
diff erent medications, and cycled in and
out of seven diff erent psychiatric facilities.
Nothing succeeded in making her
feel better.
What became clear to Davis and her
doctors was that her depression was
treatment-resistant. Standard medications
would off er her little or no relief.
Th e challenge of treatment resistance is
a signifi cant hurdle for doctors in treating
patients with mental illness. One in
three people with depression will become
treatment resistant, according to a study
published in the American Journal of
Managed Care.
Genetic testing defi nes
a path forward
Seemingly out of answers but not out
of hope, Davis checked into a clinic in
North Carolina. Th ere, her doctor wanted
to gain insight on her individual genetic
markers to uncover the biochemical factors
impacting her depression.
Using the results of a simple cheekswab
genetic test from Genomind(R), a
Pennsylvania-based mental health care
company, Davis’ doctor determined that
she had a gene that aff ected her brain’s
ability to use serotonin - oft en referred
to as the “happy” chemical for its role
in a person’s happiness and well-being.
Th is genetic result suggested that Davis
was more susceptible to stress. Moreover,
other genetic markers indicated that her
body could not metabolize certain antidepressants
eff ectively.
“My doctor felt that the baseline in my
brain without medication may actually be
a depressed state,” says Davis. “He prescribed
medication that was more likely
to work, given my genetic variants, and
I felt better within a matter of weeks. My
suicidal ideations faded, and I could interact
with people again. Of course, all my
problems were not immediately solved,
but I had the mental stability I needed
to rebuild my life. I believe my doctor’s
choice to use this genetic test saved
my life.”
“Not my fault”
Understanding how her genes have
played a critical role in her battle with
depression empowered Davis.
“Genomind’s test helped me gain the
proof that having depression was not my
fault,” says Davis. “Knowing more about
my genes also gives me important knowledge
that I can use to make decisions to
stay brain healthy for the rest of my life.”
Far-reaching impact
of mental illness
With the aim of improving people’s
understanding of mental illness and
shedding light on the topic of suicide,
September has been declared Suicide
Prevention Awareness Month. According
to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, suicide rates have increased
by 30% since 1999. Nearly 47,000 lives
were lost to suicide in 2017 alone.
Today, Davis uses her own experiences
to advocate on behalf of the millions of
other suff erers of mental illness in the U.S.
“Th e primary lesson I learned as I have
opened up about my depression is that
no one is immune to the eff ects of mental
illness, and almost everyone is searching
for answers,” says Davis. “I couldn’t
be prouder to use my experience to help
others.”
If you or someone you know is in crisis,
contact your doctor, or call the National
Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-
8255. Th e call is free and the line is staff ed
24/7.
Courtesy BPT
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