William Styron

My salvation was the hospital. Most people don't want to go to a hospital. But many cases of clinical depression leave one so hopelessly out of joint especially as in my case when antidepressants don't do their work, that hospitals are the logical place to go. Unfortunately now with managed care, people are not allowed to have more than a few days in the hospital. I was in the hospital for seven weeks, which was more than adequate time to find myself cured.

What happened in your second depressive episode last year?
Last year, the summer of 2000, I was once again beset by this illness. It came out of the blue; it struck me while I was in a very vulnerable situation. I was once again hospitalized. This depression was very serious, included suicidal thoughts, and mutated into a strange physical deterioration, which landed me into the intensive care unit of the hospital. But I recovered, and most people do recover from depression. When you are in this ghastly mood disorder, you don't think you're going to recover. The absence of hope is almost universal, which is why so many people end their lives in suicide. If suicide can be averted, as it can in most cases, you recover, almost always and live to tell the tale. So this is by no means a fatal illness.

What advice do you have for others with depression?
I recommend that you get immediate help. Find a reliable, well-recommended therapist. You have to have a solid source of information. Also it is very important to turn to your close relationships with a family member or friend for support.