by Sean E. Brotherson and Laura M. Brotherson

Read part 1 here:

“What we think are the answers are often not the answers after all.”

An Interview with Laura Brotherson on Dealing with Depression

Part II of this article series, “A Light in the Darkness—Understanding and Dealing with Depression,” is an in-depth personal interview with Laura Mason Brotherson, a Latter-day Saint wife, mother, homemaker who has dealt with the ravages of depression and is helping others who have faced this life challenge.

Laura Mason Brotherson grew up in Cardston, Alberta, Canada; Rigby, Idaho; and Tacoma, Washington. She attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, and received a Bachelor's of Science degree in Family Science with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy. It was there she met her husband, Kevin Craig Brotherson, from Bunkerville, Nevada. They have been married for thirteen years and are the parents of three children ages 9, 7, and 5.

Laura has worked as a tour guide for Brigham Young University and a trainer with WordPerfect Corporation. In the Church she has served as a Marriage and Family Relations instructor, Relief Society president, Young Women president, and Gospel Doctrine teacher. While at BYU she also served in two stake Relief Society presidencies. As a marriage educator, Laura developed and taught a course on strengthening marriages in the Church Education System (CES) Adult Education program. She also helped develop a depression support group for Latter-day Saints. She recently authored the new book on marital intimacy, And They Were Not Ashamed: Strengthening Marriage through Sexual Fulfillment. Laura enjoys speaking, reading, writing, family history, computers, and the Internet. Her commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ is evident in her passion to build God's kingdom by strengthening marriages and families.

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Tell us about your experience with depression?

It wasn’t until about two years after the birth of my third child that I finally realized I had been struggling with depression for some time. Two and a half years before that, about seven months before our third child was born we had moved into a new home and a new ward where I was very soon called to serve as Relief Society president. With the demands of a new baby, two preschoolers and the Relief Society calling I just went through the motions functioning as well as I could, but was in survival mode on the inside. No one was really aware of what I was feeling. I simply put on a happy face and kept on functioning because I had to. One can actually function quite well—even with depression.

Total survival mode—that is a really good way to describe it. You go through the motions, you put on a happy face when you are supposed to, and you just keep going. I was overwhelmed. I was sleep deprived, and I had a million things to do all the time. People called me all the time. And yet, I don’t want to suggest that I resented the calling or my service to God, because I was grateful for the blessings and the Spirit that accompanied serving others. It also provided me with positive experiences and helped me to feel of some sense of worth. As a full-time mother what I sometimes felt was that I was a non-identity, because full-time motherhood is often regarded as a non-job in our society.

There were times that I wanted to just run away from it all. I would conjure up scenarios of running away and starting a new life somewhere else. I even had thoughts of wanting to end my life. I never considered that seriously, but I did have such feelings. One of the reasons that it was difficult to identify what I was feeling as associated with depression is because it was easy for others to see why I would feel overwhelmed and overworked. It was easy to be unaware of the depression because everybody could empathize with what my life was like and how I had every right to feel overwhelmed. My feelings kind of seemed normal and appropriate.

Eventually, I was released as Relief Society President and we moved to a new state, and only then after we got settled did I have the time to begin to recognize and address the depression I was experiencing. Once I came to understand depression, I could look back and see that I’d probably experienced a low-grade depression for some time at different points in my life. I remember writing a poem in high school called “Falling Fast” and as I look back, in hindsight, even then I probably had some issues related to depression.

How did depression affect your life? What were your symptoms?

For me, depression manifests itself in the following ways:

·         irritability and anger
·         a weakened immune system (frequent colds)
·         feeling that life was overwhelming
·         feelings of hopelessness
·         a negative perception of life and the potential for me to ever be happy
·         compulsive eating
·         self-hatred, guilt and disgust
·         an inability to feel joy or peace
·         avoiding people who seemed happy or whom I didn’t think would understand
·         feeling that life and everything about it was out of control
·         thoughts of running away, or wishing I could die
·         feeling empty, feeling that I was slowly dying inside

Unfortunately the most defining thoughts and feelings of the depression I experienced were that if I just didn’t have to be a full-time mother I’d be okay. I felt like a failure as a mother, even though I was “doing” all the right things. The many and never-ending demands of young children seemed to be the “cause” or trigger for the depression. When you are empty yourself it’s very difficult to meet children’s needs. I felt like my children would be much better off in daycare or without me at all, but I knew deep inside that wasn’t the solution. I knew the Lord must have a better way, so I kept searching for healing and believed that one day I would find it and be whole.

The depression made it difficult to function with the patience and resilience that is needed with a busy family life. Little things that were not a big deal would feel almost overwhelming to deal with such as something as simple as spilled milk. I also remember walking to the bus stop to pick up my son. I walked a little bit later than the other moms on my street so that we could walk back faster and I wouldn’t have to visit with anyone. I felt so inadequate and unhappy inside that I didn’t want to talk to anyone.

How did the depression affect your family?

Depression affects all those closely associated with the individual. My primary concern through it all was for my children. I knew I wasn’t meeting their emotional needs in the way they needed me to. I’ve always felt that they each have special missions to perform on earth, and it was killing me to know I was getting in the way of their divine potential. Their incessant (but normal) needs were so overwhelming when I was, myself, in such a state of emptiness and emotional survival. I call this “empty-bucket parenting.” It’s a form of unintentional neglect, even though parents are doing the best they can. One of the reasons I have searched so long and hard for the answers to heal from depression is because I wanted to stop the cycle of empty-bucket parenting for my children. I knew I would pass on an emptiness in their hearts from my inability to nurture them fully. I knew that if I could heal, then my children could also heal before they married and became parents themselves. The good news is that even if there is a predisposition to depression it can be overcome by good parenting.

The strain of depression on a marriage is great. I hate to even consider how many divorces have occurred due to depression when they could have been avoided. When one spouse experiences depression so does the other spouse. Depression has been very hard on my husband. He has truly been a saint enduring faithfully and striving to do whatever he could to help me carry my unbearable load. I know he has experienced some of his own feelings of depression due to the emotional strain and burden of living with someone with depression. When you have depression you are simply less able to fully meet the needs of your spouse (or children) because your own inner resources are so low (though you often don’t realize it). Unfortunately a spouse (or children) can develop their own form of depression from the emotional neglect and strain. I call this “reactive depression.” I think it’s very difficult for somebody who lives with someone experiencing depression to not develop their own form of depression because of the heavy emotional burden they must endure.

What specifically has been helpful to you in overcoming depression?

I need to give you a little background here. The analogy I use for depression is that of a bucket that over time develops holes from accumulated stressors, genetics, emotional conflicts, poor upbringing, medical issues, nutritional deficiencies, etc. Over time the bucket, which is like the soul of a person, becomes empty even though you may keep trying to fill it, as you continue going through the motions of life. Most of us begin to address depression by simply pouring more "water" into the bucket (as I did for two years with prayer, exercise, etc.). This is where we do things like pray, fast, study our scriptures, attend the temple, and serve more, all in hopes that it will make the depression go away. It’s not that these things are not valuable, but they are not the things that heal the depression. They are spiritual water that fills the soul after the holes in the bucket have been healed.

We must first realize that depression requires “internal” work and often requires professional help. We can get to the point where the holes in our bucket are such that we can’t keep water in the bucket long enough to keep us going. This is why it is necessary to first repair the holes, then the other good things we do mentioned above will add water to the bucket. I will share the four steps I believe are critical for addressing the holes in the bucket that must occur before healing can begin:

(1) Anti-depressants. For most people to be effective at fully healing from depression they will likely need something to help restore balance to the brain chemistry, so that they can then go to work on the underlying mental, emotional, physical and spiritual causes of depression. When the body experiences stress, there is a flood of chemical hormones in the brain that over time can cause an imbalance until the mind is continually in overdrive. It’s like having the gas pedal pressed to the floor even when the car is in neutral.

At one point I felt like I was slowly dying inside. I knew something was terribly wrong. I had stumbled upon Marie Osmond’s experience with postpartum depression and realized that that was what I was experiencing. I knew in my heart I needed to consider an anti-depressant. I generally try to go into anything new with some education or background, so I read up on everything I could find about the various anti-depressants before going to see a doctor. In my study I came across something called SAM-e (short for S-adenosylmethionine), which is a naturally occurring compound in the body that plays a role in a multitude of important biochemical reactions—specifically a process called methylation. When I read the information shared by Richard Brown, M.D., who had studied and successfully used SAM-e to treat depression, and that SAM-e had been well researched, had basically no side effects, no withdrawal time and a faster response time I immediately knew that SAM-e was what I needed to try. For me it was an answer to prayer and successfully carried me through the rest of the work that was needed to heal from depression.

Individuals need to consider the many options available to restore balance to the brain chemistry. This is because over time emotional challenges become physical in the brain and in the body. Different people will need different things, but all avenues should be pursued with an awareness of medical options and with guidance from the Spirit.

(2) Counseling/Therapy. With a background in marriage and family therapy I knew counseling was needed to address underlying, accumulated emotional wounds and process negative beliefs and emotions. I have learned so much from many different professionals. Every therapist has a different approach and different knowledge and skills. Multiple professionals may be helpful throughout the course of healing.

Negative experiences are often stored in the body as negative energy that must be processed and released. An essential part of my healing came from clearing therapies such as Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), Rapid Eye Therapy (RET) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). EFT is something I have learned and use nearly everyday. It’s a simple tapping technique based on releasing energy from the energy meridians in the body. EFT has been the single most effective tool at overcoming depression. RET and EMDR are skills used by therapists that have helped me clear negative thoughts and unconscious beliefs that were a source of my negative feelings and behaviors. These energy therapies are part of the treasury the Lord has provided to assist in our latter-day challenges.

For more information, see Appendix II on seeking professional help and Appendix III , which is a list of resources in my new book, “And They Were Not Ashamed--Strengthening Marriage through Sexual Fulfillment.”

(3) Thought Processes. Understanding the power of thought and developing the ability to direct your thoughts as well as learning to maintain focused positive thought in duration were critical components of overcoming and healing from depression. Negative thoughts cause negative feelings. Clearing negative thought patterns and learning to reprogram negative beliefs into positive ones are essential to the healing process. Developing new thought patterns takes lots of practice. It is a skill similar to the difficulty and practice required to learn to play the piano or to learn a foreign language. I have worked at this extensively through using both written and recorded affirmations that I review on a regular basis.

(4) Other Medical/Nutritional Issues. Due to the mental and emotional strain of depression, the body often develops additional physiological issues that need to be addressed such as hormone imbalances, thyroid problems, nutritional/vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and toxicity. Medical doctors and professionals knowledgeable about depression, and who understand the importance of the mind and body working together toward healing can be effective in helping you resolve any additional physiological symptoms. In continually seeking the “teachers” I needed, I was blessed to find medical doctors, osteopathic physicians, chiropractors, etc. that were able to address both physical and psychological causes of the depression. If you don’t know where to start to find the right medical help, start talking to others who’ve been there and pray for the Lord to direct you to them.

As I have prayerfully sought God’s help and guidance and maintained an intent to become whole, I have been led slowly but surely to those people, books, and information that I have needed. I believe the Lord has and will continue to provide the knowledge, skills and therapies necessary to overcome any contemporary challenge we may face.

What do you recommend to others?

Obviously I recommend the above steps in order to heal the underlying causes of depression. But there are many other effective helps for depression—especially to carry one through the darkest times while they are getting better. In addition to the many good coping strategies (that can fill our bucket) such as getting outside in the sunshine, improved nutrition and supplements, lots of pure water, exercise, music, funny movies, physical touch and support from friends and loved ones, I especially recommend the following:

·         Reprogram your thoughts and beliefs. Compile a list of positive thoughts and affirmations of what you want your life to be like and how you want to feel, i.e. “I am happy, healthy and well.” “I control my thoughts and feelings.” “The Lord loves me no matter what.” “I’m okay.” Read these statements regularly or record them on tape and listen to them often. I have created this positive affirmations tape for myself and listen to it all the time.

·         Journal therapy. Get a notebook and keep it with you always. When negative thoughts and feelings arise process them out through writing. Write everything you think and feel, making no judgments about anything you are writing. I have found that writing can be a safe way to purge ourselves of anger, frustrations, pain and fears.

·         Schedule time for yourself. Arrange with your spouse or get a babysitter, if needed, to make some time to take care of you. Stephen R. Covey refers to this as sharpening the saw. Taking care of you is not a selfish thing, but allows you to give more freely from abundance rather than from lack. For a period of time I was able to go “off duty” from 6 p.m. one night a week while my husband took over all nighttime responsibilities with the children. I would use this time for things like going for a walk or jog, going out with a friend or closing myself into my bedroom or office to read, write, relax, sleep or work on something I wanted to without having to deal with interruptions.

·         Relaxation Breathing. Many of us don't breathe correctly, which limits the oxygen intake we need to thrive. I have found it especially effective during a difficult time to go into my room and turn on my affirmations tape or some relaxing music and lay there breathing deeply with my hand on my lower abdomen to focus on breathing from my diaphragm. Consciously breathing slowly, smoothly and deeply while focusing your mind on positive thoughts can be very helpful. Driving around or stopped at a traffic light is a great time to get in a few deep breaths.

·         Couples Dialogue communication skill. If your spouse has the wherewithal to provide intensive emotional support then I highly recommend learning the Couples Dialogue communication process where you both learn to mirror, validate and empathize with each other in a healing way. My husband and I spent many date nights using this process to share each other’s emotional burdens. This gift of love from my spouse acted as my “anti-depressant” for over a year before I realized I even had depression. (See And They Were Not Ashamed, Chapter 10 on emotional intimacy for the Couples Dialogue process and the resource list in Appendix III for a video you can order to see the Dialogue process in action.)

·         Find your purpose and passion. Figure out what your passions are and what your special purpose is here on this earth. Prayerfully study your patriarchal blessing. Spending time pursuing your divine purposes will energize your body, mind and spirit in a powerful way. For me teaching marriage courses, and writing a comprehensive intimacy book took me a lot of time and effort, but because these things are part of God’s divine purposes for me they provided excitement and additional meaning to give my life greater purpose.

These suggestions are just a few of the many valuable practices that can provide spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical fuel to the soul, but they must be coupled with healing the holes in the bucket. For some, these coping strategies or practices may be enough to lift them from feelings of depression, but it is likely that they will also need to address underlying causes. I define many of these practices as coping strategies because they are beneficial to pull you through a difficult time, though they are not likely to completely heal the depression on their own.

How did the depression affect you spiritually? What spiritual practices were helpful? When were they helpful and when were they not helpful?

Depression is like living under a dark cloud much of the time or having a thick, wet blanket wrapped around you. It was hard to imagine why a loving God would let me suffer so. I often wondered if the Lord even cared about me or if He was there. At times I felt very alone. I knew in my head that He was there, but I couldn’t feel Him in my heart. I thought surely if the Lord really loved me He would help me and stop this horrible nightmare. Many times I cried out from my own little Garden of Gethsemane begging the Lord to take this cup from me. He didn’t immediately remove the mountain before me as I would have hoped, instead He strengthened me, led me, and helped me climb the mountain so that I would learn and grow and be purified in ways that I might not have otherwise been. I suspect He carried me most of the way up the mountainous climb, though I mostly felt that I climbed it alone. I would never want to go through what I’ve been through again, but I am grateful for the ways my heart has been changed and for the precious things I’ve learned. Depression can be an incredibly effective refiner’s fire and draw us closer to God if we will let it and if we will endure it.

As far as spiritual practices go, while I was serving as Relief Society president there was an extended period of time when I attended the temple every week, studied my scriptures every night and prayed constantly—none of which had a significant effect on the depression. I have come to believe that the Lord had me struggle along doing all the “right things” that we might think are “the answers” so that I would be able to help others realize that what we think are the answers are not the answers after all—at least for healing from depression. They are the spiritual fuel that fills our spiritual bucket (as long as the holes are first healed). The idea that prayer or service can cure depression ignores the other parts of the self that also need attention. Each of us is made up of a spirit self, a thinking self, a feeling self and a physical self. Depression affects all four of these dimensions.

The paradox during this time was that even though I felt empty and dead inside a lot of the time, I knew the Lord was working through me anyway, directing me in who to call into certain callings and who to assign together as visiting teaching partners, etc. I have recorded multiple promptings the Lord has given me as I’ve served in my church callings, so even though I felt such a heavy darkness inside, somehow I was still able to receive divine guidance. In a very real way, the Atonement was and is at work in my life, making up for where I fall short. I’ve known many good people who have served faithfully in major church callings who at the same time struggled with depression. I know the Lord consecrates our best efforts and makes up for what we lack.

What can others do to be helpful to loved ones who struggle with depression?

Hopefully spouses, friends, bishops and Relief Society presidents or others wanting to help those who struggle with depression have already been prompted with ideas from this article. The following are additional ways you can help:

·         Be in tune with the Spirit. This cannot be overstated, since most people with depression are least likely to ask for help when then need it the most. You must develop the ability to hear and hearken to God’s Spirit. God must be able to count on you to quickly and regularly follow-through when a prompting is given. Prayerfully seek guidance in how you can best help someone you love who is currently struggling with depression.

·         Do not judge. It is next to impossible for anyone to fully comprehend what someone is feeling and experiencing—especially regarding depression. If you have judgmental thoughts about someone’s life or their behavior remind yourself that you don’t have all the facts about what has brought them to this point in their life. Just know that you don’t know. PERIOD. Try to see this person as the Savior sees them. You must accept that what they feel is real to them if you are to have any positive affect in their life.

·         Develop a relationship of love and trust. People are more likely to let you in when you have illustrated concerted effort to show unconditional love, and to just be there for them. With a close relationship, you are then in a better position to learn what they really need and what things you could help them with. Consistently ask what you can do for them. Let them know you are always available to talk or whatever. You may become their lifeline if they get to the point of wanting to end it all. I have personally received desperate phone calls in the middle of the night. I was very grateful that the relationship was already established, so that they had someone to turn to in crisis. If you are sincere about helping someone, give them time to see that, then they might let you into their lives. Take the initiative to do whatever you may feel prompted to do. A dear friend showed up at my door one difficult day. She walked in with a bucket, asked where I kept my cleaning supplies and said, “Just continue doing whatever you’re doing and pretend I’m not here.” Just follow the Spirit.

·         Help them get time for themselves. People with depression already feel so guilty that they find it very difficult to take the initiative to take care of themselves. It’s almost as if they need permission. You can help by assuring them that it is okay to take time to meet their own needs. Help them get some time for themselves.

·         Let it be okay to have negative feelings. Just as people with depression need to be encouraged to make time for themselves, they also can be blessed by feeling that it is okay to have negative feelings—that what they are experiencing and thinking is not horribly sinful or evil but that it just is and it’s okay. Until we are willing to accept depression it is difficult to overcome. A compassionate and accepting attitude will make it much easier for those who struggle to accept help and ultimately overcome the very negative thoughts and feelings. When someone is sharing their negative feelings you can simply reflect them back by saying, “You’re feeling very overwhelmed today?” This can have a profound effect, as they feel heard, understood and accepted from your simple, neutral response to their feelings. Like all of us, sometimes we don’t want or need to be fixed we just need to be understood.

Every person is different and feels love differently. There are no pat answers for helping someone with depression. Through the Spirit and through a close, loving and supportive relationship you will best learn how to help someone who is struggling with depression.

What have you done to help others with depression?

Once I knew I was finally on the road to recovery I was then able to share my story. In an effort to help educate others about depression and what they can do to overcome it, I have spoken at numerous Relief Society meetings. I also organized an LDS depression support group with the help of a local counselor to provide support to others and to teach them what they could do to begin the healing process. Before I began writing my book I was on a St. Luke’s hospital postpartum depression task force aimed at helping increase awareness of depression through community outreach efforts. My husband and I were asked to share our experience at their Postpartum Depression Community Outreach Conference.

In my search for answers about depression I learned that sexual problems are one of the causes. I knew God surely intended intimacy in marriage to be a source of healing and regeneration—not a source of depression. My research into the effects of sexual dysfunction on depression progressed until I realized I had valuable information that was needed by everyone and could bless many lives. I had always thought the first book I would write would be about overcoming depression, but the learning I had gained about intimacy in marriage made the prompting to put it in a book too hard to ignore.

My book And They Were Not Ashamed--Strengthening Marriage through Sexual Fulfillment is comprehensive, in-depth and frank, yet respectfully reverent on the sacred subject of intimacy in marriage. This book addresses the negative conditioning associated with sex and the body, which contributes to depression. Solutions are provided to the sexual problems that plague so many marriages helping couples create the kind of intimate relationship that was divinely designed by God. Parents are given principles and practices to assist them in better preparing their children for intimacy and lasting fulfillment in marriage. Some of the suggestions shared here about depression are also addressed in my book. (For more information, visit http://www.StrengtheningMarriage.com)

What challenges do you see regarding depression particularly within the LDS community?

The lack of knowledge and the stigma still associated with depression are a big concern. When people don’t have a correct understand of what depression is, and what it isn’t, then those who are struggling with it and need to be addressing it are forced to either shut up and endure alone or face judgment from others. More and more people are having some experience with depression themselves or someone they love, so I believe the tide is turning, but we can do more to accept that depression is a latter-day scourge that the Lord may be using for greater purposes. Depression can ultimately be a divine gift as the healing from it occurs. Below are some of the mistaken perceptions about depression that need to be addressed if we are to move forward more quickly and effectively at healing hearts and minds from the dreaded influence of depression:

·         MYTH—If you have depression you are depressed all the time. Rather, depression is most often something that comes and goes not something you feel 24/7. This misunderstanding about depression makes it deceptively easy for many with mild depression to believe they don’t really have a problem to address, but are just having “occasional bad days.” This is particularly concerning because the quicker you start taking care of yourself and get the help you need, the quicker depression can end and the easier it will be to heal.

·         MYTH—If you feel unhappy or struggle with depression you simply don’t have a strong enough testimony of Jesus Christ. This is simply not true. Many good, faithful people with a strong testimony of Christ who actively live the Gospel have still experienced the depths of depression and despair. Even President Harold B. Lee experienced depression. Strengthening one’s testimony has no direct effect on depression.

·         MYTH—Serving others will cure depression. Contrary to popular belief, service does not cure depression. Serving from an empty bucket is akin to squeezing water from a stone and will merely drain your already low reserves and make it less likely that you will have time to address your own needs and your own healing. We would never tell someone with a broken leg to just fast and pray to get better, neither will temple attendance or scripture study or service heal the imbalance that has occurred in the brain from accumulated stressors.

·         MYTH—You can choose to be happy if you wanted to. This is like a slap in the face to someone with depression. Though our thoughts do create our lives, most people do not know HOW to stop their negative thoughts or know how to reverse the resulting physiological conditions. Suggesting to someone with depression that they can just choose to be happy ignores and invalidates their current reality. Since negative thoughts and emotions, over time, cause biochemical changes that disrupt the brain’s chemistry it’s not quite that simple to just choose happiness. Depression is not cured by willpower. It goes much deeper.

·         MYTH—If you have depression you must have some kind of character flaw. The perception that one has caused their own depression or that they are permanently “broken” simply leads many to conceal their struggles. Depression can affect anyone. An accumulation of enough stressors can wear down anyone’s mind and body. Depression is merely a symptom of deeper issues of the heart and mind that have become physiological in nature.

·         MYTH—Depression is caused by sin. While sin can certainly cause depression, serious sin has rarely been a cause of depression in the people I’ve known who have struggled with it. The implication of this myth again causes people to just suffer alone instead of seeking the help they need to become whole.

·         MYTH—Depression is a permanent condition. While depression may seem like a bottomless pit to the one struggling with it, depression is actually highly treatable and can be overcome with sufficient time and effort involving sacred inner work of the soul. Depression has some valuable life lessons to teach, but it can end once those lessons are humbly learned. God can use depression to purify the heart and soul and to encourage an awakening to our truest self—our divine spirit self.

Especially as followers of Christ, we can do more to stop the slow leak that is draining the life-blood from many good people. Whether it be depression, pornography, addictions, extra-marital affairs or eating disorders, it is a similar haunting emptiness and inner woundedness that have affected our mind, body and spirit and that are at the heart of the pain and suffering so many of us bear.

What resources/books would you recommend?

Some of the books that were most helpful to me are:

·         Reaching for Hope: An LDS Perspective on Recovering from Depression (2000) by Meghan Decker and Betsy Chatlin

·         Stop Depression Now: SAM-e—The Breakthrough Supplement... (1999) by Richard Brown, M.D., Teodoro Bottiglieri, PhD and Carol Colman

·         Emotional Freedom: Techniques for dealing with emotional and physical distress (2001) by Garry A. Flint

·         Behind the Smile: My Journey out of Postpartum Depression (2001) by Marie Osmond

·         What Wives Wish Their Husbands Knew About Women (1975) by Dr. James Dobson

·         Remembering Wholeness: A Personal Handbook for Thriving in the 21^st Century (2002) by Carol Tuttle

Conclusion

I hope that this personal look into the life, thoughts, and experiences of one Latter-day Saint who has experienced and dealt with depression will be helpful to some. I want to thank Laura Brotherson for sharing her time and experiences in a vulnerable way. Her experience may not be your experience. Her solutions may not be your solutions. But I hope that within her words and thoughts you might also find many nuggets of insight and wisdom, as I have done. Thank you, Laura, for sharing.

A second personal interview with a fellow Latter-day Saint will follow soon. In the meantime, please feel free to respond or share any thoughts or feelings that you wish to pass along.

(Sean Brotherson is an Assistant Professor of Child Development and Family Science at North Dakota State University in Fargo, North Dakota. You can share any comments or feedback with Sean Brotherson at brotherson@meridianmagazine.com - look forward to hearing from you!).

(Laura M. Brotherson has a bachelor’s degree in Family Science with an emphasis in marriage and family therapy from Brigham Young University. She has recently written and published a book on marital intimacy entitled, And They Were Not Ashamed—Strengthening Marriage through Sexual Fulfillment. For more information about Laura’s book and to order, visit http://www.StrengtheningMarriage.com. You may contact her at Laura@StrengtheningMarriage.com)