When you’re suffering through a depression, you often find yourself cut off from the rest of the world. It’s difficult to relate to people who don’t understand what you’re going through. For this reason, it’s important to seek out and learn from the experiences of people who have gone through similar trials as yours — otherwise, you risk becoming increasingly alienated from society. The more you understand how common your problems are, the more confident you’ll feel that they can be overcome.
Today, I’d like to point you towards the stories of people who’ve struggled with mental health problems. These individuals have seen the pit of despair and lived to talk about it. Some have overcome their problems, others are simply managing them.
Gayathri Ramprasad, spent a decade tackling suicidal thoughts, hospital visits, and electro-shock therapy before she found peace and became an international advocate for mental health.
The story of Y. Euny Hong doesn’t end on as positive a note as Ramprasad’s. Her struggles with being bipolar were complicated by the fact that her husband was also bipolar. Their marriage didn’t last.
Over in Afghanistan, Sher Mohammed has been chained to a tree for a month as part of a treatment for his illness. His story provides an example of how culture filters the way we approach mental health. The more we appreciate this fact, the more flexibility we’ll have when dealing with mental illness.
In Vietnam, Mai Huong Day Psychiatric Hospital is the only hospital in the country to provide outpatient psychiatric care. Their doctors struggle with the lack of awareness that people have of mental illness, a problem that also exists in the West. Some issues seem to be universal.
Students at the University of California, San Francisco share their own struggles with depression during a panel titled “Living With Depression“. A recurring theme during the panel was how important it was for people to come forward about their problem. Living with depression is easier if you don’t try to tackle it all by yourself.
The british TV personality Fern Britton discusses her struggles with post-partum depression. Her story highlights how people from all walks of life can fall victim to mental illness.
Next comes the story of Nicola Leggat. She’s a talented singer living with bipolar disorder. She’s come a long way since her early manic episodes, where she felt disconnected from the world. Her story is one of triumph over adversity, of moving forward and wresting control over her life away from her condition.
Finally, we hit on the story of Lynn Johnson, who fell into a deep depression after the death of her daughter. This depression spiralled out of control, until Johnson was left homeless. She turned to professionals for help, and managed to build a new life for herself.
One of the recurring themes from all these stories, the good ones and the bad ones, is that recovery came after turning to other people for help. That’s not to say that it’s impossible to pull yoursef out of your misery, but you are more likely to succeed with a helping hand.