I got back to being me

I’m a wife and mother with three grown children. I worked for many years for several large consumer products companies before I developed health issues and I’m now retired.

I have always loved to cook and share my food with other people. I just have this sense of community when I do it. It makes me happy. I’m also very social.

When I first experienced depression, it happened all of a sudden. It was like a cloud happened in my head. I would cry, I didn’t want to eat, and didn’t want to have a thing to do with anyone. I was so sad and cried constantly.

At the same time, I was dealing with other health issues and taking a number of medications for those issues.

Trying Different Doctors, Different Medications

I began to see one doctor, then another, to help deal with my depression. They tried many, many different medications and none seemed to work. The medications made me worse and worse.

I was getting frightened and was having to go to the hospital. I felt my psychiatrists wouldn’t listen to me – they just keep changing the medicines.

Finally, my heart doctor said, “Doreen, I’ve heard about this gene test, I think it might help you.”

Discovering the GeneSight Test

That’s how I found out about the GeneSight test. It was a brand-new test then. My doctor submitted my name to be part of the trial. I was lucky to qualify as one of the first 10 people to receive the test.

Getting to take the GeneSight test was a big step in my journey to get better.

To take the test, I went to a new doctor, who looked at the medications I was taking, including those for my other conditions. He gave me the GeneSight test, which was just a cheek swab, and it was easy. I was surprised how fast the results came back.

My doctor was able to see how my how my genes may have affected how I metabolized and responded to the depression medications I had been taking.

For me, the report made complete sense. My doctor prescribed a different medication after reviewing the genetic information in the report. That’s when my life started to change.

On the Road to Mental Wellness

You know how you use a map to go on a journey? It was almost like the test helped my doctor create a map, and I felt for the first time like I had a clear path to getting better.

I started feeling great. I got back to smiling, being happy and laughing again. I got back to being me.