I have been researching different forms of depression and how they are treated for one of my current works in progress, and came across this wonderful TED talk.  It is a bit long but it was well worth the time.

I feel it is important to hear him say “The opposite of depression is not happiness, but vitality, and it was vitality that seemed to seep away from me in that moment.” when he is talking about the debilitating depression he experienced. I don’t think the general public appreciate how difficult it is for a depressed person to get through the daily chores of regular life. It is not about feeling sad, it is about not being able to get out of bed to brush your teeth because it sounds like too much work.

Depression is a serious illness that has been treated in many different ways over the years. I am fascinated by how the same illness was seen at the turn of the twentieth century versus today. I am still very much at the beginning of my research process, yet I have already learned a great deal. I will bring you tidbits as I learn more. If you know anything about the treatment of depression either in the 1910’s or in the 1950’s, I would love to pick your brain as background for my current work-in-progress.