During the past year, I've struggled with postpartum depression and recently
began taking medication. My depression--which manifested as severe irritability,
anxiety and irrational behavior--affected both home and work. My planned
three-month maternity leave from my company extended to five, and even after
that, I struggled. With treatment, I finally feel like I have my life back and
am able to be productive again.
A survey recently released by the National Mental Health Association and the
American Medical Women's Association found that depression is the No. 1 obstacle
preventing women from being successful in the workplace. In the survey, 83
percent of working women cited depression as a greater barrier to professional
success than child and elder care responsibilities, pregnancy and sexual
harassment. Women with depression left work early or didn't return from lunch,
avoided contact with coworkers and were unable to face work.
This was a survey of employees, but entrepreneurs, too, can feel limited by
depression. "There have been times when I feel incapable of working to my full
potential," says Beth Shaw, 40, president of
Yogafit Training Systems Worldwide
in Torrance, California. "I just didn't want to go to work. I lost my
creativity, and I was just suffering."
Shaw was diagnosed with depression in her mid-20s and was prescribed various
antidepressants, but found natural supplements to be most helpful. She says she
can now cope and has built her business from a living room venture to a $4
million company.
To manage her depression, Shaw exercises daily, eats organic and takes
supplements. "I stay present in the moment and try to become the witness to my
mood and catch it before it gets too dark. I monitor myself constantly. I walk a
lot," says Shaw. "Getting rid of stressors is key."
Crystal Cook was depressed when she was 19. She says she shut out others and
turned into a "mean workaholic."
"Often, it has seemed through my life that the depression is most likely to
resurface when I allow anger or insecurity to keep me from speaking my truth--in
business or otherwise," says Cook, the 37-year-old owner of
Sol Day Spa in Steamboat
Springs, Colorado.
Cook went to therapy for several years and took antidepressants, but has
managed her tendency toward depression by maintaining a healthy balance in her
life and by helping others. She sits on the board of Mental Health America, a
nonprofit organization. "I learned some great skills and a lot about myself in
therapy," says Cook. "It helps me every day to be clear about who I am as a
person, my unique abilities, my focus, my 'buttons' and, mostly, the warning
signs of shutting down."
Forty-year-old Marina Kushner, president of
SoyCoffee.com in Brooklyn,
New York, was prone to depression since early childhood. Her mother never
considered that her daughter might have a mental issue.
Kushner was diagnosed with major depression in 2003 and treated with
medication, and she says that her depression actually led her to start her own
business. "I couldn't consider looking for a job since interaction with others
was difficult," she explains. "I felt inner resistance to talking to anyone. I
practically forced myself to talk and sometimes still do, although I feel much
better now."
While looking for an explanation for her inability to concentrate, Kushner
came across information about how caffeine can trigger central nervous
disorders. She wrote a book based on what she learned called The Truth about
Caffeine, started the nonprofit organization Caffeine Awareness Alliance and
developed a caffeine-free coffee substitute--Soyfee.
Like Shaw and Cook, Kushner turned to an improved lifestyle and diet and
began taking supplements to deal with her depression. "Find someone you trust to
help you," says Cook. "Accepting that it's something you'll fight doesn't mean
'it' wins."