Interview date: April 13, 2013 Interviewee: Sandy (name changed due to confidentiality) Interview conducted by: Elecia

Rattray ___________________________________________________________________________

Sandy is a 63-year old African American woman working as a Home Health Care Aid for the older adults in Gwinnett County. As a young adult, Sandy loss her first husband unexpectedly in a car accident leaving her to raise four children. Her second marriage occurred in her late forties, and several years later she divorced. Sandy has struggled with depression through out her adult life. As a young adult, stressors relating to children bickering, job issues and spousal problems lasted for a short time. Sandy was always able to bounce back. The death of her first husband led her into a depressive state. The feelings of loneliness surfaced. As a single mother, raising four children on a limited income caused financial hardship. She did not want to get out of bed nor did she care to work. The overwhelming feelings of powerlessness settled in slowly. She suffered in silence due to the stigma of depression. Sandy did not seek help and claimed to have gotten over her depression. As an older adult, Sandy had a failed marriage. Feelings of embarrassment left Sandy emotionally insecure. Now at 63, Sandy has no desire to get help for her drinking. Sandy lost her house and lives in the basement of her daughters home. Sandy spent most of her time in her room watching television and drinking. She has trouble sleeping and eventually developed insomnia. Sandys experience of memory loss as an older adult can be linked to depression according to a recent study. The study showed that complaints of poor memory and concentration are most common among depressed older adults than younger and middle-aged adults (Fiske, Wetherell & Gatz, 2009, par. 16). When asked if she had experienced memory loss as a young adult, Sandys response was no. Sandy acknowledged a drinking problem, but later in conversation she denied having a problem. Sandys depression has impacted her life and has affected her family from young adulthood to older adulthood. The sudden death of Sandys first husband as a young adult has had a lasting effect in her life. The loss of a spouse strongly relates to depression in younger adults than older adults because spousal loss is less expected in young adulthood than in older adulthood (NolenHoeksema & Ahrens, 2002, p. 116) (as cited in Glick, Weiss, & Parkes, 1974; Hurwicz, Durham, Boyd-Davis, Gatz, & Bengston, 1992; Lopata, 1973). Losing her second husband catapulted Sandy into a deeper state of depression. The her dinking problem increased. Ive learned depression does not only affect the individual but also the family. In order for Sandy to cope with the losses in her life, she turned to alcohol to medicate the pain. The losses directly connected to the onset of her depression. My recommendation for Sandy would be to seek individual and family therapy to address her depression, and the impact it has on her family. Secondly, Sandy should reach out to a peer support group for help; then she will realize, she is not alone.