Depression is often a very isolating experience—even when the depressed person has a supportive and loving group of people to rely on.

In my own life, I often found relief in reading books about depression, spirituality or health and trying to relate the wisdom in those books to my own life as a lawyer.

When I searched on-line for materials to read that would support me in my attempt to cope with depression and my law practice, what I found was sometimes helpful, but in the end, not sufficient.
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When You Fell Blue, Why Does Everything Look Gray?
Medical News Today takes a look at recently publihed report from researchers at the University of Frieberg in Germany that found that people with depression actually have more difficulty defining a sharp contrast between black and white.
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Staying Busy Translates To Being Happy
From Psych Central, this piece interviews one of the researchers involved in a new study which found that extremely active people are happier than people who sit idle.
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Rewards Of Massage Therapy
Examiner.com discusses the findings of several new studies which found that massage therapy can be as effective as prescription antidepressants for treating mild to moderate depression.
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See More Depression In The News

Empathy For Self Helps With Depression
Once upon a time, a college freshman seeking to make an appointment with me for a counseling session revealed that in the days past he had experienced suicidal ideation, and now that he was feeling much better he had decided to give me a call. A quick glance at my calendar revealed that I had an eight o' clock opening the following day. I shared with him this news, and there was a pause on the other end of the line. He then thanked me, and asked if I had an opening on the weekend, because he had to be at work the next day. This question called for a pause on my end, and then I asked, "If you had killed yourself, would you be at work tomorrow?"
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The Continuing Stigma Of Depression
Part of the mission of patient advocacy groups is to reduce the stigma associated with depression. This is noble and important work because historically people who have suffered from depression have tended to suffer in silence and/or not sought treatment because of the shame associated with admitting depression. In the US in the 19th and 20th centuries, virtually every form of mental illness was associated with a moral failing or sign of a weak character.

Seemingly in tandem with the efforts of patient advocacy groups, pharmaceutical companies have expended enormous resources in advertising so that the public will come to see depression as a medical illness. Given that something like 27 million people are taking antidepressants, it is clear that it has become more acceptable to take medications for depression.
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The Loss Of Joy During A Depression
Anhedonia is the technical term for the inability to experience joy. When people are in the depths of depression, nothing touches them, not the most intensely pleasurable activities, not the most familiar comforts. They are emotionally frozen. In this state, people either have to get professional help or simply wait for weeks or months until the depression lifts by itself; nothing is going to make them feel better.
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