My name is Dan and I am a fifth grade teacher in Northfield, MN. I\u2019ve been married for 34 years, and my wife and I have four adult children. I enjoy teaching, reading, walking, listening to music, cooking, tending to 14 bluebird houses, and spending time with my family.<\/p>\n
Life is really good for me right now, but it hasn\u2019t always been that way. I used to spend a lot of time lying on the couch thinking I was tired. I was disconnected from my wife and had little energy for my kids. I didn\u2019t listen to music and had trouble concentrating on reading a book.<\/p>\n
I was awake for most of the night and got no exercise. Work felt like a drag because I was convinced I was the worst teacher in the world. I felt alone and hopeless. I believed depression was a part of my makeup, and I thought I deserved to be depressed because I was such a loser.<\/p>\n
Recently I had a conversation with one of my adult children about her perception of me when I was struggling with depression. \u201cDad,\u201d she said, \u201cI always thought of you as negative and angry.\u201d Her words cut deep, because they were true.<\/p>\n
I was determined to keep my struggles to myself because, as a man, I figured I should be able to solve my own problems. I couldn\u2019t imagine there were other men who suffered from depression. If others heard my story, they would laugh at me or judge me.<\/p>\n
A few years ago, I was talking to a teacher friend, telling her I had been struggling a lot lately. She said, “You should check out this group my husband is involved in called Face It.\u201d I nervously approached Mark Meier at Face It. He invited me to attend meetings with other guys. I was pleasantly surprised to meet guys who were willing to open up with their stories, and, as a bonus, these men were funny, kind and understanding.<\/p>\n
Over time, the men in the group encouraged me, gave me ideas to begin feeling better, and sometimes even challenged me. I tried medicine and counseling over the years, and I would sometimes feel better for a while, but I didn\u2019t make lasting changes until I came to Face It, shared my story, realized I was not alone, and got the tools I needed to get better. I\u2019ve learned important things about myself, and gained a lot of skills for putting depression and anxiety issues behind me.<\/p>\n
I am back to doing the things I love and enjoying life. Do I have struggles and challenges? Of course. But now those things feel like bumps in the road that I can face and move past. I work at staying well by attending Face It group meetings and events, reading helpful books, and exercising. I no longer take depression or anxiety medication, and I now lead my own group at Face It.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Living free of depression seems more and more habitual and natural. It was one of the best moments of my life a few months ago, when I asked my wife if she has noticed any changes in me, and she said, \u201cOh my gosh, dear, you are like a different person!\u201d<\/p>\n
If you are dealing with depression, it may seem impossible to ever feel better. You might feel like giving up. But that\u2019s your depressed brain lying to you. Face that depression! I did it, and so can you.<\/p>\n