Depression Blues

More common than you think

Are you depressed? Feeling more than sad? Hopeless and helpless? Struggling to get through the day; thinking no one understands how you feel? Well, the good news is that you are not alone. Not at all. As many as 350 million people worldwide are affected by what the World Health Organization calls "the leading cause of disability worldwide," and "a major contributor to the overall global burden of disease."

A lifelong struggle

Clearly, this is not an uncommon condition, and Depression Blues author John Henry Clark wants you to know that no matter how bleak things appear to be, there is hope. Clark writes openly and honestly - in sometimes gut-wrenching detail - about his life and his experiences with depression and anxiety, beginning with his childhood growing up in a blue-collar neighborhood in Houston, Texas. His upbringing was fairly normal from all outside appearances, but a family history of depression, including a severely depressed father, began to take its toll during his adolescent years.

There is hope

Clark tried self-medicating for a long time, nearly destroying his life and himself at one point, before finally seeking medical help in his early 40s. Attempts at counseling and treatment with various medications provided little to no relief, and so Clark - a tireless researcher and information-seeker - set out on his own to find ways to help himself. Read his story and be inspired by his relentless search for answers, never giving up, and his discoveries of how to feel better, and most importantly, how to live a happy life. You can help yourself feel better