I've been meaning to write on this for a while, and if I hadn't been hit with this wonderful mastitis I would have before now.

About three weeks ago, I was blindsided by a severe bout of depression. The second week was the worst of the two. My personal opinion regarding depression is that it can have just one cause, but often can also be the result of several different things. I could have made an entire list about what I believed was causing my depression. For starters, Bethany was getting her molars and, since she was getting very little sleep, I was getting even less. On top of the sleep deprivation, I was missing my husband, who'd been gone on two different business trips during those two weeks. He was gone about 10 out of those 14 days. I was also feeling like a failure as my kids' teacher. Financial stress was another brick in the depression wall. Beyond that, though, I just knew something wasn't right. It felt out of my control. The other things can be remedied: sleep deprivation eventually goes away, my husband is home now, the schooling will get better (this is, after all, a season), and finances can be worked out. 

Something else was wrong. But what?

The day after my husband got home from his second trip, I was shopping with my kids. Fred Meyer has a great nutrition section (though I wish they'd make it bigger). I'd been praying that day that the Lord would help me to "snap out" of the depression. He knew what the underlying cause was, and He knew what needed to be done to fix it. I prayed again for help as I was walking by the vitamins. At that moment, I looked over, and a bottle of B-12 caught my eye. It was the sublingual lozenge form (dissolves in your mouth, preferably under the tongue), and each tablet was 1,000 micrograms. It was a good price, so I bought it.

When I got home, I did some research online and found that a deficiency in B-12 can cause depression (among other things). It can also cause anemia, as B-12 is necessary for red blood cell production. I read that, as a treatment for depression, I could take two of these tablets for one week, then reduce that to one tablet a day.

I took two, and the next day my depression was gone! It's been gone ever since. I've been taking two a day since then (I began this last Monday), but will now be taking just one daily.

I'm not saying this is a cure-all for depression, but it's what worked for me. Many of us homeschooling moms deal with depression that can, at times, be debilitating. We don't have to live with it! If you're living with depression, look into what may be going causing it, and take steps to remedy it.

If a deficiency in the B vitamins (B-12 in particular), strikes a chord with you, do some research online. It may be just what you need (by all means, if you're not sure, please check with your doctor first). Above all, ask your Heavenly Father for help. He knows what makes you tick, and He knows all the circumstances of your life. He's so ready to help; all you need to do is ask Him for it. Why suffer with it any longer?