Depression and Domestic Abuse: How to Get Out

Depression is a tricky emotion--actually, it's a tricky set of emotions. It's dabilitating, a silent internal parasite that eats away at a person's strength ...a person's will. It's on-again, off-again spasms are confounding to anyone who experiences it. Depression does hurt. Physically it aches and burns the senses and leave you with two choice: cry profusely or fight like hell.

For men, it seems, the later option is the choice response. And its causing the life of women who love them.

In three weeks in September, Baton Rougeans have seen or heard about a husband or fiancé beating or killing his lady. Brutally. Almost uncontrollably. With a malice or vengeance akin to evil and the Devil himself.

In fact, in the case of "Bishop" Weeks (husband to Juanita Bynum Weeks), it has been said he told his congregation that the devil told him to do it. After allegedly strangling, kicking, and stumping his wife in an Atlanta parking lot, the demon of depression has subsided and shame and remorse seeped in as he spoke to his "flock". Just a step farther into this thought makes me look at reports on the recent mur­ders of Baton Rouge natives: Mina Rosenthal Eames and Lauren Eugenia Robinson.

Lost to murder-suicides and lost to domestic violence and de­pression. Local and national media reported on the lives of Mina and estranged husband Clifton Eames. In short, the two had been together since teenagers and had agreed to support each other and their two children while the other completed law school (Clifton) and dentist school (Mina). Clifton finished law school and Mina went on to work on her dental degree as planned. By all accounts both were quiet intelligent. Mina was an honor student; although Clifton had not passed the Texas bar exam, he had successfully convinced a judge to allow for multiple retakes on the test. He took and failed the test four times, while Mina thrived in school. Was he angry? Very. Frustrated? Definitely. Depressed? Absolutely.