At just 23 years old, Corann, a single mother, was stressed out and exhausted trying to juggle her kids and her full-time job. She found she was always unhappy and wasn’t enjoying life anymore, even with her two-year-old twins.
Her depression was so severe that she didn’t think she could take it anymore. One night, on the way to her sister’s party, there was a deer on the side of the road. She was driving at 90 km/hr and decided not to stop if it stepped out onto her path. “I was ready to die,” she said. Thankfully, though the deer came close, Corann didn’t hit it.
When Corann told her mother, she was immediately worried about how serious her daughter’s condition was—and noticed how it was affecting Corann’s relationship with her daughters. Corann was increasingly more impatient with them, and ultimately, they were the reason she decided to get help. She said, “When you’re not doing well, you need a reason to get better. I decided to take action for my children.”
Corann went to see her doctor, who diagnosed her with depression and told her to take a month off work to recover. During this time, she cried constantly—she was at her breaking point and was ready to do what she needed to get better. She met with a number of specialists, but experienced long wait times and frequent staff changes. Moreover, follow-ups only occurred every two weeks, sometimes only once a month.
“It can be difficult to talk about [mental illness] with your loved ones. I was nervous to bother them any more”
Corann’s doctors had her on a lot of medications that led to uncomfortable side effects. Exhausted by her situation, she wanted to see a psychiatrist. There were no psychiatrists in her region, so she was added to a waiting list in Montreal. She would have to drive more than an hour to attend her appointments, which was an additional strain.
Four months went by while she waited to hear from a psychiatrist. She decided to call her doctor again, who suggested she contact her insurance company. When she called, her case manager at her insurance suggested she try a new mental health program by Best Doctors. With that program, Corann’s treatment started immediately. She was able to see a neuropsychologist regularly and from the comfort of her own home, as her weekly follow-ups were done remotely via videoconference.
She felt cared for and knew she was in good hands. “I felt like someone was holding my hand and that’s what helped prevent me from falling back into my previous state,” Corann said.
After 14 sessions, she returned to her everyday activities that she had struggled to accomplish before. “My psychologist responded to my needs by giving me concrete tools accompanied by visual examples. We saw real progress every week.”
After more than a year since her first doctor’s appointment, Corann gradually started to return to work. “Everything went well. I was prepared for it,” she explained. Without the help from Best Doctors, it would not have been possible.
“That is what helped me the most. I wish I had taken advantage of it earlier. I would strongly recommend it to anyone who wants help with depression. Best Doctors leads to progress and success. I am so proud of myself!”
