HOUSTON – Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo recently opened up about her battle with mental health issues.
Hidalgo took a leave of absence for almost two months to get treatment for clinical depression, and she returned to work in October.
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“So in retrospect, I’ve been dealing with it for about eight years, since I was in law school, that I remember. And I mean, it’s been a problem. Now that I think back, it made there be a cloud over my life for the past several years,” Hidalgo told Houston Public Media in an interview.
She said a psychiatrist previously told her she had anxiety, and she was not diagnosed with depression until July. Hidalgo faced serious problems due to her condition.
“Then in July, I felt, you know, I’m going to, I’m going to jump off the balcony if I don’t find a way out of this. So, I was almost begging my therapist for a solution,” she said to Houston Public Media.
Being depressed made her feel inadequate and empty at times.
Hidalgo also spoke about how she saw multiple psychiatrists before she was told she should be hospitalized to receive more help, and they suggested the Lindner Center in Ohio.
She said she considered resigning from the county judge position because she didn’t know how to make herself feel better, according to Houston Public Media.
Now, after receiving treatment, Hidalgo said she is feeling happy and is fulfilled with her career.