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An Interview with Delta Burke and Gerald McRaney

DB: To the person dealing with it, of course, I’m going to understand it a little better. I’m going to tell them that there is light at the end of tunnel, there are other people out there with this, and you are not alone. That was a revelation to me that I wasn’t alone, that I wasn’t really going insane, and to know that there was a label for what was happening to me. I try and tell people that they’re not alone, that this happens to lots of people, and to go find the doctor you can work well with. If it’s not clicking, you need to find somebody else, and it takes a while to find the right medication. I was pretty fortunate, medication-wise, because I haven’t gone through as many as some people have. Patience and perseverance are a big part of it, and that you are worth it and not to give up—it will get better. That’s the type of thing I say to people. As far as a caregiver, all I can talk about is when Mac has gone through it and that’s not been as extreme as mine. What I learned from therapy was what to say to him and that I had to keep going to my doctor. I had to keep doing what was right for me and not getting sucked into it, and he has to do the same. As actors, you can never see each other when you’re on the road, or you are together 24 hours a day. When we’re together like we are now, it’s very easy for both of us to get into the same emotional state.

GM: Caregivers have to take care of themselves more than anything else. If you become incapacitated, what the hell good are you for anyone else? This can be debilitating on the caregiver’s emotional life, too, so you have to be careful of that while you’re giving all the love and support that you can; you’ve got to be careful for yourself. Ultimately, you’ve got to realize that as a loved one, there is nothing you can directly do about the depression; but, with proper medication and therapy, things can be done.