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CNN Live Sunday

Entertainer Sheila Walsh Talks About Her Struggle With Depression

Aired August 05, 2001 - 16:22   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: Depression can hit anyone, even the rich and famous. Just ask Rosie O'Donnell. In the upcoming issue of her magazine "Rosie," she says she's been on antidepressants for two years. She says, in her words: "The gloom was becoming constant. The gray was winning. Sure, I had moments of joy. I fell in and out of love. I had happy days and career success, but the dark cloud that arrived in my childhood did not leave until I was 37 and started taking medication."

The magazine with Rosie's article goes on sale on Tuesday. Joining us for look at depression is Sheila Walsh. She is the former cohost of "The 700 Club" and someone who fought depression for years before getting help. She is also the author of the book "Honestly," which recounts her personal struggles and how she came out on top.

Sheila, we are so glad to have you. I looked over a lot of the book, and was just gripped by it. And I also have to tell you, I think it's so helpful for a lot of people, because I think chemical imbalance, depression, all of these things that have a lot of stigma attached with them -- when you and Rosie and other folks come out to talk about it, it's so helpful to a lot of people. And that's what you found, haven't you?

SHEILA WALSH, ENTERTAINER: Well, it removes the shame aspect. A lot of people feel any kind of mental illness has such a stigma attached, where people feel ashamed. And what we're trying to say is, you know, there is no shame attached here. Just as you wouldn't say to somebody who wears glasses, well, you know, what's wrong with you, why can't you get your eyes corrected by yourself? I mean, you can't self-motivate your vision, and neither can you with your brain chemicals, and there's wonderful help available to people.

KELLEY: What did you find in your own struggle? What has it taught you, and how did you get through it?

WALSH: Sometimes I think depression is really the tip of the iceberg. It shows you there's a lot going on under the surface of the water that needs to be dealt with. And like Rosie, I was put on medication, which was tremendously helpful to me, and it helped me to look at some of the larger issues of my life -- and onto the things that I feel very strongly about, is within the church in particular, there is a real stigma attached. Well, surely, if you loved God, you wouldn't need medication. KELLEY: There were people who put pressure on you, in fact, when you were going for treatment, I was reading.

WALSH: Yeah, they were disappointed in me. And I think sometimes what Christians forget is we are not the good news. You know, we are just a cardboard box, we are just the container, we are not the great news ourselves.

And I find tremendous help in healing, and that's why Women of Faith now have spoken to 1,300,000 women, and so many of them have struggled with depression, and sometimes they will come up to me and say, "I have never heard anyone from a public stage admit that they have struggled this way, and now I feel like I can tell someone else."

KELLEY: And that's what you're in town for, the Women of Faith conference that's going on here in Atlanta.

WALSH: Yeah.

KELLEY: What would you advise somebody who is struggling with depression right now? What helped you and what can they do?

WALSH: My first step was -- I actually was hospitalized for a month, which seemed like a nightmare to me. My father died in a psychiatric hospital when I was 4. He was only 36 years old.

So, the night I ended up in there -- I've gone from sitting in your place as cohost of "The 700 Club," that night I was in a locked ward of a psychiatric hospital, and I was terrified. But I discovered that God is with you when you sit on television, and God is with you when you lay on your face on the floor of a hospital.

And that was the beginning for me -- admitting I needed help, going and getting help, admitting the fact I needed medication, taking it faithfully, and beginning to live an honest life, to tell the truth about what's true about my life, rather than what I wished was true.

KELLEY: Yeah, yeah, simply, honest, transparent life you talk about, and the book is wonderful. And it's wonderful that you have the strength to come and visit with us about it too.

WALSH: Thank you. I want people to know, in the best days of their life and the worst days of their life, they are unconditionally loved by God.

KELLEY: Sheila Walsh, who is an entertainer and motivational speaker. And the book is call "Honestly." Delighted to have you with us. Thank you.

WALSH: Thank you, Donna.

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