In a study of 600 American college students and their risk for depression and suicide, approximately 16 percent reported feeling like life wasn’t worth living, yet none of these students reported being currently engaged in mental health treatment.  According to Mental Health America, depression is one of the most common mental illnesses, affecting more than 19 million Americans each year.

I suffered from constant, pervasive depression from my earliest childhood. In college I felt like life was just too hard, but failed to seek treatment. It wasn’t until my kids’ bipolar disorder challenged all my personal resources and I came up wanting that I decided to seek treatment. What a godsend! What a miracle! Now I’m perpetually grateful for the medical treatment I receive for depression. I now experience my world, my life, in all its glory and vividness.

Before taking an antidepressant, I functioned under the weight of a dark gray presence, always exerting great effort to ‘be happy’ or ’stay on top of things’. I achieved successes, made and maintained friendships, and had solid relationships; but these normal accomplishments took an unbelievable amount of self-monitoring and internal energy. On the most basic level, depression is exhausting and I’m grateful modern medicine has evolved so that I can experience all facets of my life without that great burden called depression.

Treatment works.

Recovery is real.

I deserve it. You do too.

Life is good!