I saw one of the free trucking magazines a few months back that had a big write-up about truck drivers and depression. I glanced at it long enough to see the words "... no control over their schedule"; "... lonliness"; "... long hours"; etc. I don't have the magazine anymore, but this is what I could find on the internet:
From EzineArticles.com; Depression and the Long Haul Trucker
"... The constant attitude of many motor carriers of "you've got to get the freight there," is an enormous stress on the long haul trucker....Twenty eight hours of sleep in an entire week, and to add to the problem, a great deal of long haul trucking is done at night....Though statistics vary, it is believed that depression in long haul truck drivers is as high as 30-40 percent...."
From an ABC News (Australia) website called "PM" (a radio news show I think), The [Australian Trucking Association] has research which shows that drivers suffering from severe depression are up to six times more likely to have an accident on the roads.... The work is exhausting, lonely and stressful so it's little wonder that a recent report into the mental health of truck drivers found that the transport industry takes a heavy toll on its employees....Heavy vehicle drivers were under considerable pressure to meet deadlines. They had to drive for long hours and they often had to try and be at a certain point within a certain timeframe. It seems to be a occupation which carried a significant amount of inherent psychological stress in it...."
Several months after I first started driving I told Dr. Feelgood that sometimes I felt like running over all the 4wheelers - if I could go faster. Back then, Swift trucks would only go 57mph. I'd never do it of course, but I still feel that way sometimes - like when a 4wheeler cuts me off, etc. Anyway, I thought it was anxiety, but he thought it was depression. I've been taking an antidepressant ever since. It was Paxil for years; and I've been taking Effexor for about 2 years.
Please note that I think a lot of employees in any sort of industry suffer from depression simply because they have to work for a living. However, according to an article from PubMed.gov, "...Truck drivers are at increased risk for depression when compared to the general population...." The only reason I'm pointing truck driving out is because it's so different than most other jobs - and because I am one.
And I take Effexor.
