[Sportschosun reporter Jung An-ji] Esther Lyuh, a doctor and broadcaster, shocked viewers by revealing the harrowing details of her battle with severe depression, a struggle that is almost impossible to imagine.
On the July 30 episode of Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS)'s "Same Bed, Different Dreams Season 2: You Are My Destiny," Esther Lyuh and her husband Hong Hye-gol opened up about the emotional backstory behind ending five years of living apart and finally moving back in together. That day, Esther Lyuh said, "We had been living apart intermittently for the past five years. During menopause, I kept snapping at my husband for no reason, and our relationship got worse. " Hong Hye-gol recalled how difficult that period was for him as well.
"I was exhausted too. My wife is known by many as the nation's depressed woman, but her condition was more serious than I expected. She was tormented by having too many dark thoughts," he said, remembering how hard it was for her to endure her depression. He was especially stunned to reveal, "I underwent general anesthesia 28 times.
It was for electroconvulsive therapy. When the condition is that severe, some people can break bones if they are not anesthetized because they tense up their arms and legs. They relax the muscles and use general anesthesia. " Esther Lyuh explained electroconvulsive therapy, saying, "It is used when medication treatment is difficult.
" She added, "After hospitalization, general anesthesia is used for safety, and medication is given to prevent muscle spasms after the electric shock. Electrodes attached to the head induce an artificial seizure. It resets the brain.
But it also causes some memory loss. " She continued, "After 28 sessions, I lost all memory of short meetings. " She added, "There are not many people who have had it 28 times.
I tried treating my depression with many medications for more than 10 years, but there was no improvement, so I thought this was my last resort. " Hong Hye-gol said, "I never imagined she had even thought about a date. " He added, "When my wife was receiving psychiatric treatment last August, she told me it was possible, but it seemed serious.
It felt like she was trying to hold on to me, so I answered the phone and came straight to Seoul. Since then, we have been living together in Seoul for the past year. " He went on to say, "I can say this officially.
My wife and I ended our separation after last August. We are together again all the time. " At the time, Esther Lyuh had tearfully confessed on air, "This is something I feel sorry to say to my family, but I do not want to live long.
Every day, I pick a date to die. " Reflecting on that period, Esther Lyuh said, "When it was at its worst, I had my children, my husband, and my company, but none of that could affect me at all. " She added, "Many people with depression do not have a set time in mind.
Because it is so painful, instead of deciding to die on a specific date, they think, 'There is an end, so let me endure by looking toward that end for a few months. '" She said she made every effort to hold on. anjee85@sportschosun.com
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