DaytonDailyNews.com

DAYTON — Melissa French loved her job.

A Dayton resident, French worked as a sales representative for a sheet music company, stocking music at stores throughout the region.

That was years ago, before she was diagnosed with depression.

"I just couldn't function anymore," French said. "I started having anxiety attacks, panic attacks and, some days, I'd stay in bed until 10 in the morning, because I physically couldn't get out of bed, get out of the house."

Making matters worse, French said she did not have a supportive supervisor at the time and ended up being laid off from her job in 2002 because of her illness. French, 46, who also was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, has been on disability ever since.

She's not alone.

A recent study by the American Medical Women's Association and Mental Health America, a non-profit formerly known as the National Mental Health Association, revealed depression as the No. 1 obstacle preventing women from being successful in the workplace.

Data show that 83 percent of the women surveyed cited depression over child- and elder-care responsibilities, pregnancy and sexual harassment as their greatest barrier to professional success.

Even though she lived through it and hopes one day to return to the work force, French was surprised by the survey's findings.

Clayton resident Joan Foley was not.

Foley, 69, was in her 40s when she was diagnosed with depression.

Like French, Foley's depression meant the end to the job she loved working as the business manager of her church.

Foley, however, left her job voluntarily.

"Only because, I knew my work was OK," she said. "I was not falling behind in my work. It was just that I did not know what I was getting into, knowing I'd be on different medications. I did not want the parish to suffer."

According to Mental Health America, five million women are affected by depression, costing them an average of 10.6 days in being absent from work each year.

Depression costs U.S. businesses some $44 billion annually in lost productivity, direct treatment costs and absenteeism, according to the organization.

Fortunately, for both women, they got through it and are now leading happy lives.

The two credit their recovery to having the support of family and friends and to getting both medical and mental health treatment.

Because both women had treatment-resistant depression, each opted to become recipients of vagus nerve stimulation, a device referred to as a VNS.

The VNS, which is implanted above the patient's left breast, provides the brain continuous stimulation as a small electrical current.

VNS Therapy affects brain structures and neurotransmitters responsible for controlling behaviors and feelings associated with depression, including mood, motivation, sleep and appetite.

Foley's physician, Dr. Amita R. Patel of the Dayton Psychiatric Associates, said patients with VNS implants are seeing remarkable improvements.

She said people with depression should not avoid treatment out of fear of stigma or job loss, but actively seek it because they're are more treatment options available now.

"Do not be afraid to seek out help if you have the signs, the symptoms of depression, because it's a very treatable illness," she said.

Foley wants those with depression to know that change is possible.

"I recently told my husband, I have never felt so good in my life, and that's scary, because I didn't realize how bad I was until feeling so good now," she said. "I don't want people to think it's a walk in the park, but I do want people to know that there is an out."

French concurred.

"I'm not ashamed of being a person talking about how I'm dealing with depression if it means that I'll help even one person. That is my goal," she said. "I haven't had a life in 46 years and, finally, I have this life with this device, and now I can go out and not be afraid anymore."

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-9338 or

kmcallister@DaytonDailyNews.com.