Family Stories
LaTonya was induced at 39 weeks. “Once they gave me Pitocin, everything happened very quickly,” she says. “I only labored for 5 hours and Darrin was born.” Little Darrin’s birth marked a fundamental shift for LaTonya. She was a mother for the first time and she loved... read more
Family Stories, Teen
Jessie, 18, has big goals. She’s spending her time working at a local gym, volunteering across her home state, and learning skills to become a mental health advocate. Jessie has support from her community and tight-knit family, which includes her mom Julie, sisters... read more
Family Stories, Mental Health News
Doug, age 50, has been learning to live and cope with hard-to-treat depression (also known as Treatment-Resistant Depression) for as long as he can remember. The severity and chronic nature of his mental health condition has led him to try multiple therapy and... read more
Family Stories, Paying for Treatment
If you’d like to hear Becky share her story, click this link to watch her video. Joe’s battle with depression impacted both his and his wife Becky’s lives immensely, but they held on fast to each other and came out better for it on the other side. Joe Joe has a... read more
Family Stories, Paying for Treatment
Catava felt very different from others growing up with dark, negative thoughts and overreacting to simple situations. It wasn’t until she was in her late 30s that she was referred to a psychiatrist and began looking into her mental wellbeing. She was misdiagnosed... read more
Family Stories, Mental Health News, Paying for Treatment
Rose is a powerhouse of inspiration. She is the caregiver of a loved one who lives with depression. She has discovered first-hand how difficult it can be to navigate the mental healthcare system to access services, especially for an older person on Medicare. Rose is... read more
Family Stories, Mental Health News, Paying for Treatment
By Dawna Roberts Ronnie’s wife has been living with hard-to-treat depression, which Ronnie describes as “relentless,” for their entire 28-year marriage. Her depression has taken a toll on Ronnie, his wife, and their relationship. Loving someone who lives with... read more
Family Stories
My parents were two of the people I least expected to ever end their own lives. They always seemed so happy, so full of life. They were selfless and dedicated to helping others. They laughed a lot, enjoying every minute with friends and family. As parents, they stayed... read more
Family Stories, Mental Health News
When I woke up in the hospital in June of 2018, I promised myself that it would be the last time that I tried to take my own life. Unlike what happened after my first attempt in 2015, this time I remembered everything. I remembered how I wasn’t feeling like myself... read more
Family Stories, Mental Health News
Families for Depression Awareness (FFDA): How much did you know about mental health before your marriage to Danielle? Miguel: I had no knowledge on that topic. FFDA: What have been some of the toughest challenges in supporting someone with bipolar? Miguel: The... read more
Family Stories
By Dawna Roberts Depression is often extremely debilitating and can turn your life inside out. Allyssa knows this all too well. Five years ago, according to her boyfriend Keith, she was lost. Then Allyssa and Keith attended a networking seminar that changed her life.... read more
Family Stories
By Dawna Roberts Steve is the youngest of six kids. The entire family experienced abuse at the hands of their father, who lived with untreated depression. Steve remembers his father often threatening suicide and then leaving the kids alone for days. The children would... read more
Family Stories, Mental Health News, Teen
Elizabeth and Danielle, a mother and daughter from Florida, were recently featured on our Teen Depression webinar. They discussed Danielle’s experience with depression and treatment. Elizabeth provided insight into the parent perspective. We received so many questions... read more
Family Stories
Shana lost her son, Owen, to suicide two weeks after his fifteenth birthday. Owen was extremely funny, bright, kind-hearted, genuine, and likable. He was active and social, often a source of comfort and support for his friends and family. He was known for his dancing,... read more
Family Stories
According to her husband Dean, Kathy was always a tremendously happy person, outgoing and loving life. That is, until after the age of sixty, when she lost her older sister who was like a second mother to her. The two were very close and, although Kathy prepared... read more
Family Stories, Mental Health News
Written by: Dawna M. Roberts, November 30, 2017 Growing up in a very traditional culture with strict standards of behavior can be challenging enough without adding bipolar disorder to the mix. Richard and his brother Adam learned early on what was expected of them in... read more
Family Stories
Xavier and Cory know the crippling pain of losing a child to suicide. Both have also confronted depression in themselves. Xavier and Cory share their story to encourage families to address signs of depression in their loved ones. Early signs of depression Xavier’s... read more
Family Stories, Mental Health News
By Lisa Gilliam, September 12, 2017 Job stress led me to a point in my life where I had to make some tough decisions about my future and mental health. A few years ago, I was employed as a crisis counselor. While I truly enjoyed this work, I was burnt out from working... read more
Family Stories, Mental Health News
By Kurt Morris, July 28, 2017 When I was diagnosed with Bipolar II disorder in 2001, things in my life became clearer, such as how the prior year in college I managed to survive on approximately three hours of sleep per night for weeks on end. At the time, I didn’t... read more
Family Stories
Chris, 45, dysthymia, and wife, Jill A rough start in life Growing up, Chris saw substance abuse and mood disorders on both sides of his family. “I remember my mother and father fighting a lot when we were kids,” Chris says. Both he and his little brother were smart,... read more
Family Stories
Lyn’s first experience with major depression came when she was a single mother of three in her twenties struggling to keep her head above water. “I wasn’t really functioning,” Lyn remembers. “I was sleeping all the time. I couldn’t tell you if my kids were bathing... read more
Family Stories
Novelist David Guterson has had many successes in life. His bestselling 1994 book, “Snow Falling on Cedars,” was made into an Academy Award-nominated movie. He was happily married and his life was very fulfilling. That’s why David was astonished when a... read more
Family Stories
I’m a 32-year-old teacher and I live with my partner and two young children. I discovered I had depression when I moved jobs and realized doing so had been a big mistake. I had been teaching at a school for 8 years and then decided to move to another school last... read more
Family Stories
Depression has been part of my family for most of my life. I lost both my brother and a dear friend to suicide. I also have clinical depression. Luckily, I am able to live a normal and productive life and I feel that my story can inspire others with my message of... read more
Family Stories
Greg Stiemsma grew up in Wisconsin where his skill and commanding 6’11’’ stature made him a natural on the basketball court. But his talent could not mask the depression that initially appeared while he was in high school. “The first time I dealt with depression was... read more
Family Stories
Looking back, Alexandra Styron can see that her father, novelist William Styron, likely suffered depression much of his life. But as the youngest of four children, all she knew was the need to tip-toe around the man she remembers as both a looming figure whose stories... read more
Family Stories
In 8th grade, Ashley appeared to have it all: she was a popular, a straight-A student, co-president of her class, and captain of the volleyball team. On the inside, though, she’d begun to struggle with feelings of unhappiness. She went to boarding school the... read more
Family Stories
People may assume a famous name and wealth guarantee a ticket to Easy Street. But Doris Buffett, sister of Warren Buffett, knows otherwise. Today, she uses her wealth to help people, which brings her great joy. But her life wasn’t always so happy. In her new... read more
Family Stories
Shonda Schilling, wife of former Major League Baseball championship pitcher and six-time All Star Curt Schilling, seemed to have it all: four beautiful children and a comfortable lifestyle that enables her to be a full-time mother and wife. Publicly, Shonda appeared... read more
Family Stories
Terri, an enterprising business woman, wife, and mother of two, was diagnosed with clinical depression in 2007, although her symptoms of sadness and hopelessness had begun decades earlier. “Depression runs in my family and my initial symptoms go way back to my teen... read more
Family Stories
Cassandra was in the seventh grade when she first experienced major depression. “I was in a really low mood all the time,” she recalls. “I liked school. I had a nice group of friends. My home life was good. But, I was depressed. Nothing had happened... read more
Family Stories
Julie, a wife and mother to two-year-old Piper and nine-month-old Cate, works for Ernst & Young. Her ongoing battle with depression began back in 1990, when she was a freshman at the University of Texas at Austin. “It was my first time away from home and I... read more
Family Stories
The year was 1986. Michael and Julie, then married for six years, had a baby on the way. Michael was a professional fundraiser, a job that required constant energy and enthusiasm and a lot of social interaction. But, he was feeling burned out, always working from... read more
Family Stories
It was just weeks before Terry and Peter’s wedding that Peter was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease. When the disease progressed and robbed Peter of his speech, Terry abandoned her career to help him sustain his financial planning business. “We... read more
Family Stories
It took three years — and a very persistent mother — before Trina realized that the stress and sadness she had been feeling for so long was in fact depression. “I never knew I was depressed,” says Trina. “I didn’t realize how bad I felt until I... read more
Family Stories
Terrie grew up in Mount Vernon, NY, with her parents and her younger sister. “Growing up, mental health was simply not discussed,” Terrie says. “I don’t think it was discussed in many families, especially African-American families in the 1950s.... read more
Family Stories
William Styron (1925-2006), well-known author of Sophie’s Choice, first experienced major depression at age 60. His depression worsened over a six-month period, culminating into suicidal impulses. His wife, Rose Styron, was initially unaware of depression and... read more
Family Stories
When Susan’s son was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age nine, she wasn’t panicked or fearful. She was relieved. The now fifteen-year-old had first been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD),... read more
Family Stories
Renee’s family was the first to recognize she wasn’t acting like herself. “I was isolating myself. My husband Gary and my kids told me they were losing me. It was extremely hard because I didn’t want to admit I had a problem,” says Renee.... read more
Family Stories
Gene’s depression began when he was a child and suffered severe panic attacks. He experienced cycles of feeling worthless and hopeless until age 35, when his doctor identified his depression at his annual physical exam. Shortly thereafter, he was diagnosed with... read more
Family Stories
Nell Casey, editor of Unholy Ghost, was only 16 years old when her sister Maud was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Eleven years later, Maud stopped taking her medication and, after a brief hospitalization for mania, fell into a four-month depressive episode. For this... read more
Family Stories
Less than a year ago, while away at college, Zack had his first major manic episode. After experimenting with drugs with his friends, he felt a sudden change come over him that persisted even after the effects of the drugs wore off. “The next day, I thought that... read more
Family Stories
Although Missy struggled with bouts of depression since childhood, she resisted taking medication. She finally sought treatment in order to be well for her infant daughter, Katherine. At first the antidepressant helped, but then Missy became manic and was... read more
Family Stories
By the middle of his junior year Michael was finding it nearly impossible to get through a day at school. He felt claustrophobic and out of control. He became physically ill in school and lost any motivation to do homework or see friends. Although theater and being... read more
Family Stories
In 1994, Mary Margaret was working long hours for an international consulting firm. She also bought a house that year, and her father, who had been fighting cancer, passed away. “By April 1995,” she says, “I could no longer get out of bed or stop... read more
Family Stories
Lynne’s depression hit out of nowhere the night after her son Jack, was born. She was still in the hospital, after a 32-hour labor without three days of sleep. “Even though I am in a happy marriage, have a successful career, and understand my... read more
Family Stories
Looking back Rebecca, 41, thinks that the “personality quirks” she saw in her husband when they first met in college actually were signs of mental illness. In their early years together she noticed that John, now 42, had trouble sticking with a career path... read more
Family Stories
Depression can place a huge strain on close relationships. Yet, Dennis and Joan’s struggles with depression have brought them closer together. Their story also shows that the fight against depression is an ongoing battle that requires incredible determination. ... read more
Family Stories
I’ve struggled with depression at greater or lesser intensity since my teens. The word “depression” suggests sadness, and this is certainly one aspect of the disorder. There are days when I’ll feel slow, tired, old, and brittle, as if the... read more
Family Stories
It was about five years ago that Candice experienced her first bout of depression. With treatment, she found herself symptom-free for a year; until a diagnosis of a neurological condition known as Arnold Chiari Malformation triggered a second episode of depression.... read more
