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Nearly 25 years ago, Charles Donovan, now 45 years old, suffered his first major depressive episode the same spring he graduated from Georgetown University. Donovan was about to begin a promising career, having accepted a job in the Management Training Program of what is now JP Morgan Chase and planned to move to New York City after graduation. Although he came out of his first episode that spring, it was the beginning of a long, dark fight with depressive episodes that over time became more frequent.
In November of 1995, Donovan's depression had become debilitating and his family eventually had to send him to the lock-up unit of a hospital. By 1998, Donovan was a 39 year-old man sobbing uncontrollably, hugging his parents in the doctor's office after the psychiatrist recommended shock treatments. After nearly 15 ECT treatments and endless attempts with new antidepressants, Donovan was in a major depressive episode and deemed a patient with treatment-resistant depression. Finally by 1999, Charlie had to end his successful career because he could no longer hold a job and fight the depression-even though he was able to hide his depression from his co-workers for years.
Then in 2001, Donovan enrolled in Cyberonics' clinical trials and was implanted with a vagus nerve stimulator or VNS Therapy. Prior to his implant, during his final depression rating interview Donovan told his doctors that he hoped he would die to just end the misery.
Within a few months, Donovan's family gradually started to notice a change in his mood. Donovan recalls the first time that he realized he was pulling out of his dark depressive state-for the first time in years, he laid out his clothing for the next day because he wanted to look sharp for his psychologist's appointment.
Four years after getting his implant, Donovan "is full of genuine happiness and joy." He lost 30 pounds in the past 18 months, exercises regularly; swimming, Pilates and running. He can finally face social situations most people take for granted, like going to a shopping mall or dinner parties. He's even written and published a book (Out of the Black Hole) on his experience. Donovan is amazed by "VNS Therapy's staying power. "Unlike every other antidepressant medication I tried, this one still works. It has remarkable staying power."
Donna Halfhill
West Des Moines, IA
62 year-old Donna Halfhill has battled depression for more than two decades. It all began after a car accident, in which Donna suffered an injury to her neck, shoulder, back, and hips. While doctors were treating her chronic physical pain, for some reason Donna could not pull herself out of an emotional black hole. For ten years Donna, a single mother of three, struggled off and on with her depression, often putting on a brave face for the sake of her children.
Then, ten years ago, Donna fell into a deep depression that would not go away. Her doctors tried more than 15 anti-depressants. Some of them would work for a few months, but ultimately each would fail, leaving her feeling helpless and disconnected from the world around her. Donna also tried a few rounds of ECT (electroconvulsive therapy). She would feel ok for a period of time after the ECT treatments, but then would fall back into th e depths of depression.
Donna was diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression (TRD), a type of depression that affects more than 4 million Americans. She was not responding to medications, talk therapy or ECT treatments. As result, Donna was barely able to get out of bed, she was forced to quite her job, and she couldn't concentrate or even hold detailed conversation. Both of Donna's sons got married during this time and today she can't remember their weddings. Donna says she was not functioning, she felt like she was slowly dying, life was too exhausting and she did not want to live that way.
"This whole process of treatment-resistant depression lead to a world that I did not know existed and that I had never planned on having to cope with nor did I know was so stigmatized by society. All my plans for the future were gone, all my assets were gone, my physical health was greatly compromised and I was so totally exhausted that getting to the bathroom was a huge effort. Depression itself is a dark hole that nobody wants to be in and to be living with it is like living in quicksand but nobody cares or knows what to do about it so one just keeps on pretending and hoping that something will work or change. After so long, though, the energy just totally runs out." -Donna Halfhill
Then Donna heard about a new treatment called VNS (vagus nerve stimulation) Therapy. She does not even remember where she learned about the therapy because the years of medications and ECT treatments have caused memory loss. She asked her psychiatrist, Dr. Charles Wadle about VNS Therapy. After some research Dr. Wadle discovered a clinical trial for VNS Therapy was enrolling in Omaha, Nebraska, and worked with her to complete the paper work necessary to enter the trial. Donna says winning one of the spots in the VNS Therapy trial saved her life.
"I fear that I may not of s urvived much longer if it were not for VNS Therapy."
-Donna Halfhill
Since receiving VNS Therapy in 2001, Donna's life has changed dramatically. She is able to participate in life now and has even started working again with one of her sons. Donna says she has dignity, hope and joy back in her life and finally feels like herself again.
Donna is using her second chance at life to help others battling depression and has founded a support group for people with depression and their families. Donna says she spent much of her life feeling alone and guilty and wants to do everything within her power to make sure others don't have to go through what she did. Today she is teaching others about the treatment options available for depression, such as VNS Therapy. She is also working to combat the stigma attached to mental illness by educating others about this often misunderstood disease.
Paulette Lane
Tampa, FL
Paulette Lane believes she has suffered from treatment-resistant depression for years before she actually sought treatment. She felt exhausted and leaden, but when she would actually try to sleep, she found that she could not. She was completely dependent on her husband for things as simple as getting out of bed in the morning or making dinner. She was in a graduate program and soon her depression was too overwhelming for her to continue with that either.
Paulette finally sought treatment after seeing a segment about depression on television. She tried every medication available, as well as talk therapy, and nothing helped her. The medications caused a number of debilitating side effects like headache, agitation and sedation which continued to feed and worsen her depression over time. She lost 25 pounds because she would forget to eat, and lived in a catatonic state, unable to function on a very basic level. Her memory was gone, and she could not even carry on a conversation or answer questions when she was addressed. Her relationship with her husband was extremely strained, and she could not maintain any friendships simply because she did not have the energy. Paulette struggled with constant thoughts of suicide. She would spend months at a time completely consumed with the idea. Since the medications continued to fail, she finally decided that there had to be another option for her.
In a visit with her psychiatrist, Dr. Paul Goodnick, Paulette learned about a clinical study in Miami for vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) Therapy. VNS Therapy is an implantable device that delivers mild intermittent pulses to the vagus nerve in the neck, the body's "information super highway." VNS Therapy was approved by the FDA in July 2005 for treatment-resistant depression, and in 1997 for the treatment of pharmacoresistant epilepsy. Paulette was implanted with the device during a short outpatient procedure in 2000.
Since getting VNS Therapy, Paulette has seen a significant improvement in her life. Her depression has lifted dramatically, and she was able to come off of some of her medications, and reduce others. She is fully functioning now, and things that were once enormous undertakings that we all take for granted, like going to the grocery store or cooking, have become simple for her. She feels like she has a second chance at life and has even entered a PhD program in English, something she never would have dreamed of previously. Paulette is so thrilled with VNS Therapy that she wants to spread the word so others can seek help and experience hope for the first time.