“If we couldn’t laugh, we would all go in sane,” sings Jimmy Buffett. “Time spent laughing is time spent with the gods,” says a Japanese proverb. A sense of humor, for me, is by far the most useful weapon in my depression arsenal. Which is why Eric is panicked when I stop laughing, when my...

The self-defeating thoughts that accompany depression are among the most painful elements of the illness. When I’m in the thick of the darkness, I can’t see anything remotely positive about myself. I concentrate solely on my weaknesses. The other day I wrote down some affirmations to say when I’m in this place, to remind myself of my value even...