Feeling Depressed? You Are Not Alone!

40% of America Is Right There With You

“There are…days — and nights — when we feel utterly abandoned, left in a dark room alone, when the universe seems a vast and unfriendly place. Truly we have entered upon ‘the dark night of the soul.’ …Over the centuries this despair has been shared by many….we have the company of saints and pilgrims, a myriad of fellow sufferers.”

— Martha W. Hickman

I had a moment the other day when I sat down in my puffy leather reading chair and stared out the window. It suddenly seemed as if the world had hit pause.

This extreme sadness swept over me and all of its accompanying cohorts — lethargy, a feeling of emptiness and loss, despair, withdrawal.

I recognized it for what it was — depression.

It had been a very long time since I had experienced this beta noire. It had been kept at a distance by all of the self-help and spiritual tools available to us in contemporary society — living in the present, daily meditation and grounding, a rhythm to life, staying in touch with family and friends, creative projects, healthy exercise and eating habits.

But, I had joined the pandemic statistics of 4 in 10 adults in the U.S. who have reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder — up from 1 in 10 adults a year earlier (Kaiser Family Foundation research).

I had encountered depression in the past, but it has been rather spotty in its appearance. It…