I have discovered how difficult it is to start over.  I remember feeling so excited and adventurous when I first moved to Boston for school and that I acclimated almost immediately. Then again, I had to live on campus with others going through exactly the same thing and I was fortunate to have a roommate from the same area I lived in growing up.

It was different when my husband and I moved 3,000 miles cross country with no solid landing ground on the other end-– no job, barely anyone I knew, no established community of any sort. It felt isolating.

I am one of millions who watched this year’s Super Bowl.  I was bummed by “my” team, the Patriots, not winning; but, both games and life are matters of win-some-lose-some situations.

A 2005 study conducted by the Minnesota Department of Health reported that as much as 40% of rural women had depression compared to 13-20% of urban women. With such a high population of women experiencing depression, the hope is that mental health care services would be abundant in these areas.  A recent Twin Cities Daily Planet article, however, examines the truth of service availabilities.

In a recent New York Times article, Jan Hoffman writes, “For adolescents, Facebook and other social media have created an irresistible forum for online sharing and oversharing.” Parents and mental health experts share concerns about some of the “dark postings” they often see on Facebook. They face the challenge, however, of distinguishing typical teenage melodramatic behavior from true “emerging crisis.”

In 2003, Craig Carey, 47, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.  As was reported in a Boston.com article, he became one of the first members of a new fitness program called In SHAPE. Now, years later, In SHAPE, which stands for “Self Help Action Plan for Empowerment,” is so successful that New Hampshire just won $10 million in federal grants to replicate the program in the rest of NH’s community mental health centers.

Idaho teen, Jordon Edwards, has made it her mission to raise $2000 for our upcoming Strides Against Stigma walk event. At Edwards’ private high school, seniors are given the opportunity to pursue a senior project.  As a teen who had struggled with depression, Edwards knew that she wanted to do something to help raise awareness and reduce the stigma around mental illness.

In her Oscar-nominated role, Glenn Close portrays a 19th century Irish woman who disguises herself as a man, Albert Nobbs,  in order to find work and survive. Close has said about the film: "People think it's all about gender but I don't think it is; it's about how people survive and about how human beings need to feel safe." Close is no stranger to the complexities of the human psyche; her sister suffers from bipolar disorder, her nephew from schizophrenia, and during her career, she has portrayed characters with various psychological disorders.

As we gear up for our Spring event, Strides Against Stigma, the entertainment committee is hard at work planning a fun-filled, active, and inspiring day.  We hope to attract individuals from far and wide who will come together to build a community that will erase the stigma of depression.

My name is Lisa Sonnenberg.  I am a 32-year-old woman, wife of 10 years, and a mother of 4 children under 8 years old. I suffer with anxiety and depression. I have suffered for as long as I can remember.