The
depression rattles Margaret
Living with Margaret while she copes with
disabling depression and knowing how she feels and witnessing what she is going through in
her efforts to cope, has been a difficult experience for our family. The lack of readily
available educational materials geared to patients and families constitutes a crucial
omission, and for our family the greatest unmet need. A primary coping strategy is
therefore frustratingly difficult to access. Scant information exists geared specifically
to the lay person. In the absence of such materials we tackle the Internet and
professional journals in the hopes of finding any information that may help Margaret. I
believe her biggest problem stems from the disabling factors associated with major depression and posttraumatic stress disorder
Major Depression and all its
bone-chilling accoutrements are what have caused the demise of Margaret's life style as
she knew it before the pre-AIG period. She is not dealing with it at all.
Major Depression is legally speaking 'a physical disability'.
As Margaret's husband, the thought of her
having to live with Lifetime prevalence of major depression
scares
the heck out of me. The last 25 months have been hell for Margaret. I do not know
what she will do next. Major Depression can cause many problems. She says she is not
suicidal but I never know what she is thinking. She often talks about having flash backs
to different events that happened to her while employed at AIG. I do not like to leave her
alone, I never know when she might experience a panic disorder or anxiety attack, her
moods can change so quickly.
Coupled with her chronic lichen planus the
major depression is making life miserable for her. The unethical practices used against
Margaret to delay her entitlement to monies owing her under the disability plan are adding
to the stress that has caused her depression to deepen and her lichen planus to flare up.
I am convinced that until Margaret can get
what she is entitled to in the way of benefits and compensation, her chances for a full
recovery are in jeopardy. We must find a way to put a closure to this nightmare of hers
(being employed by AIG) behind her so she can move forward.
Former employees and members of their families
who had the same supervisor as Margaret, have sent us e-mails offering evidence of bad
faith employment practices. They describe how others were treated the same way as
Margaret. Margaret just can't walk away, it won't solve the problems, they are too deeply
routed. Margaret had a friend and former co-worker pass away from a brain tumor.
I am always finding things to worry about, I
guess it is my nature, but you never know and her constant headaches really worry me. For
Margaret to recover fully we can only hope time is on our side. |