{"id":1661,"date":"2020-08-14T16:51:35","date_gmt":"2020-08-14T23:51:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brightside.com\/?p=1661"},"modified":"2020-09-26T12:33:57","modified_gmt":"2020-09-26T19:33:57","slug":"kaitlynn-depression-anxiety-treatment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brightside.com\/blog\/kaitlynn-depression-anxiety-treatment\/","title":{"rendered":"Member Spotlight: Kaitlynn’s Story"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kaitlynn\u2019s symptoms of depression and anxiety began in third grade, but a lack of understanding about her feelings and finances kept her from pursuing treatment until college. In college, she had a few false starts when seeking treatment. A few years later, when a new career opportunity presented itself, Kaitlynn knew it was time to get serious about her mental health. This is her story.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Kaitlynn W.<\/span><\/h3>\n

27 years old \u2022 Marketing Specialist \u2022 Denver, CO \u2022 Brightside member<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

I first began to experience the symptoms of depression and anxiety and depression in third grade. I didn\u2019t realize it wasn\u2019t normal to feel that way until college, but finances kept me from pursuing medication. I had a brief period of antidepressants when I was in college, but that only lasted about three months. When I moved out to Colorado, I got back on antidepressants but changed jobs, then lost the insurance covering those antidepressants.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I first began to experience the symptoms of depression and anxiety in third grade.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Suddenly, I had a very exciting career opportunity, and I wanted to be in a good place to see it through. My job requires creativity, but the \u201ctortured artist\u201d thing doesn\u2019t really work when you have deadlines to meet and promises to keep. I knew from past experiences that my anxiety and depression have the nasty ability to swallow me up and make it feel like I\u2019m stuck in a grey fog.<\/span><\/p>\n

Brightside has helped me see massive changes in myself<\/span><\/h4>\n

With treatment, I have been able to get back to doing the things I love, and exercise is the big one. We all know that regular exercise improves your mood. With my Brightside doctor\u2019s help, I could get to a place emotionally where I could motivate myself to join a fitness program. The treatment has also positively impacted my mood, and I started to see improvements in about six weeks. I\u2019ve been pairing Brightside with a wonderful therapist and seeing <\/span>massive<\/span><\/i> changes with my overall quality of life. It has made managing my depression and anxiety far more doable than before. I used to feel like I couldn\u2019t count on myself to follow through, but now I can\u2014and have!<\/span><\/p>\n

“I\u2019ve been pairing Brightside with a wonderful therapist and seeing massive changes with my overall quality of life.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Brightside appealed to be because of its convenience and low cost. I love that with Brightside, I don\u2019t need to think about it. The medication is on auto-ship, and check-ins with my doc happen after work when there is no stress and no hurry to get it over with. I love that I get reminders to do check-ins and that those check-ins only take a couple of minutes! It\u2019s so crazy to me that I can have a 15-minute conversation with the kindest doctor ever from my apartment\u2019s comfort\u2014it\u2019s nothing short of amazing. Plus, I didn\u2019t need insurance to get care through Brightside. Honestly, the total cost is less than a gym membership, and I love that. The entire experience of Brightside is so low-key.<\/span><\/p>\n

My Brightside doctor makes me feel comfortable<\/span><\/h4>\n

This is my third experience with seeking treatment for depression and anxiety. The first experience was at a free clinic (because I was a broke college student), which was efficient and non-threatening but <\/span>way<\/span><\/i> out of the way. Hence, it was challenging to keep up with appointments. The second experience was great because I could communicate with my doctor via email. However, filling my prescription was kind of a pain because I had to remember to get it shipped or go pick it up. That\u2019s kind of hard when you\u2019re working on balancing the chemicals in your brain!<\/span><\/p>\n

“My Brightside doctor is so kind and patient, and I feel comfortable enough to ask any questions I may have.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

My doctor is so kind and patient, and I feel comfortable enough to ask any questions I may have. This is terrific because it\u2019s helped me learn the difference between depression symptoms and other bodily struggles. The biggest thing that he\u2019s helped me feel comfortable with is taking medication. My doc is fantastic at describing different ways medication affects the body, so I know what to expect and what to bring up if there\u2019s an issue. Truth be told, this is the first time I\u2019ve seen a male doctor for depression. I had this awful preconception that he would be less understanding than a female doctor. Not true. I couldn\u2019t be happier with him!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Learning to accept help has been key to my recovery <\/span><\/h4>\n

The biggest challenge in my recovery was a willingness to accept that my brain really benefits from this help. I wanted to appear strong and invincible, but now I know that it\u2019s okay that I\u2019m not. I have no problem taking aspirin for a headache. I certainly wouldn\u2019t fault someone for taking any other medication, so learning that it\u2019s okay to accept help in the form of a kind doctor and regular prescription was challenging but definitely worth it.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I have chosen to share my story because I know other people out there who, like me, are smart and successful but feel like they need some support\u2014and I want to tell them it\u2019s okay to ask for help.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Right now, I feel like I\u2019m in a really good place. I have chosen to share my story because I know other people out there who, like me, are smart and successful but feel like they need some support\u2014and I want to tell them it\u2019s okay to ask for help. I consider myself a pretty strong and resilient person, and I also take antidepressants. That doesn\u2019t make me any less strong, it\u2019s just a part of being a healthy me.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Personal essay by Kaitlynn W.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\n

Thank you, Kaitlynn, for sharing your journey with us. For more member stories, check out <\/span>Marnie\u2019s<\/span> s<\/span>tory<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Annie\u2019s story<\/span><\/a>, and <\/span>Joe\u2019s story<\/span><\/a>. If you are struggling with anxiety or depression, you are not alone. Talking about these illnesses is the first step towards destigmatizing the topic of mental health. <\/span>Get connected<\/span><\/a> with one of our doctors today to figure out if Brightside is right for you.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kaitlynn\u2019s symptoms of depression and anxiety began in third grade, but a lack of understanding about her feelings and finances kept her from pursuing treatment until college. In college, she had a few false starts when seeking treatment. A few years later, when a new career opportunity presented itself, Kaitlynn knew it was time to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":2146,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1661","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nKaitlynn's Depression and Anxiety Treatment Experience<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Her anxiety and depression made her feel stuck in fog\u2014until she found Brightside. 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