I have issues with depression myself and have had several close friends who are probably bipolar
(they havent been diagnosed but definitely have cycling mood swings). My concern about research on
these issues is that since many people who suffer from severe depression/bipolar will not seek any
psychiatric help unless they have an extreme acute breakdown, the patients that
psychiatrist do see do not represent the true spectrum of people with these issues. I know of many, many
people with bipolar and/or depression that function well enough in society so that no one except their
closest family and friends know about their problems. Speaking from my own experiences, it is true as a
caller said,that when you have severe depression or cycling bipolar episodes it can cause problems in
ones life that enhance the depression or trigger mania (job loss, relationship problems).

This is a severe issue today it must be approached correctly in order to cure it and end the human
suffering it causes. Objective medical research and more drugs is not going to do it.

Sent by Rachael | 5:55 PM ET | 04-05-2007

As a nation we are not very knowledgable about mental illness. Even in your special focusing on Depression, I did not hear very much about the fact that there are several types, not just "regular and manic." I personally suffer from a)Dysthymia: a constant low grade depressive illness, which by itself isn't debilitating, but my regular "good" days aren't as bright as most folks. b)Bi-Polar disorder: mitigated by the disthymia, my manic phases have been less catastrophic than for some folks, but I still took some steps away from reality as everyone else saw it (before diagnoses and proper medication). c)Major Depressive illness: with the disthymic condition, regular life disappointments are much bleaker and can trigger a major episode.
I have been in treatment since the age of 8, I have actively attempted suicide and at times engaged in extremely risky behavior that has been tagged as passively suicidal behavior.
Most people don't realize that depression is much more than feeling sad and down. In the same way that mania, is not just really happy (otherwise, we would all want to feel manic), but gets to be delusional, depression alters the way you perceive the world.

Sent by Jennifer | 4:29 PM ET | 04-18-2007