Last summer, when I was in the midst of a severe depressive episode, a good friend told me that my suffering had value, that she was sure that my angst and tears would serve some purpose. “This isn’t all wasted, “she said, “suffering has redemptive power.” She sent me an excerpt of Pope John Paul...

Last summer I met a friend for coffee. I cried through most of our hour together, as I was in the midst of a severe depression episode. At one point, she folded her hands on the table, looked intently into my eyes, and said, “It’s a hard time of year.” I started laughing … because...

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, depression affects more than 6.5 million of the 35 million Americans aged 65 years or older. Most of them have been experiencing episodes of depression throughout their lives. For others, depression has a first onset in late life—even persons in their 80s and 90s. However, those numbers—as...

In her informative yet entertaining book, “Unworthy: How to Stop Hating Yourself,” Anneli Rufus tells this story: Accepting his third annual Teacher of the Year award, Jeremy gazed out at an auditorium packed with wildly applauding children, parents, and colleagues. Silently he mourned. I was supposed to get my doctorate. I should be famous by...

Should someone with a mood disorder disclose her condition to her manager or anyone with whom she works? After more than twenty years in the professional world, having worked a variety of occupations in different kinds of settings, I still don’t know the answer to that. I experienced thick stigma and shame when I disclosed...