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Depression after back injury?

I had degenerative disc disease that required a 2 level spinal fusion in Sept. The surgery was mostly unsuccessful because I still have horrible pain in one of my legs. I am due for another surgery March 14 (2 days from when I am writing this).

I used to be very active and had a good job that allowed my wife and I to travel and have a lot of fun. Now I can't even go out without being miserable and we are on the verge of bankruptcy due to medical costs and my huge loss of income. I have slipped into a deep depression during this time because I know my wife is not happy and my doctor told me I would never be able to go back to my old job and will possibly be permanently disabled. On top of all of this, my wife and I planned on trying for a baby this year but we can't even afford to pay for ourselves, let alone a child. The only hope I have in my life is possibly getting my fiction novel published when I finish it, but that is a long process and it is a long shot to get published.

Does anyone have any advice for me as to way to cope with this situation? I don't want to lose everything, including my wife but i don't want her to be miserable with me either. Please help.

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  • 1 decade ago
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    Hello. I'm so sorry for what you are going through. I'm in somewhat of the same position you are. I became ill 3 years ago. Right after that, because of the economy, my husband lost a very good paying job. I also lost my health insurance. I had to go through tons of medical tests, and ended up in the hospital 3 times. The medical bills destroyed us. My health has gotten worse, and i am unable to do anything now. I haven't left my house in months. I've become severely depressed because of the stress and pain i'm in every day. My marriage is pretty much over also. I would just urge you to try to talk to somebody about how you feel, so it doesn't ruin your marriage. I can't do a lot of things now, so i need somebody to help me, and all i had was my husband, and now i don't even have that anymore. Trust me, you don't want to lose that, on top of everything else. Maybe if i would have got therapy early on, that would have helped me cope better. You have so much going on, that it sounds like it's more then you can deal with on your own. They actually have therapists that work with people that have health issues. They teach you how to cope with being sick all the time, and the depression that comes along with it. I think it's worth a try. I hope and pray you feel better soon. I know what you're going through, so i know how difficult it can be. Best of luck to you. Take care.

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