tion that God has blessed me beyond comprehension. Everything that I see is a gift from him, and now my eyes are open. The majority of those who Karp interviewed seemed to have some sort of problem finding help. While suffering with depression or any metal illness the last thing you want to deal with is finding a good doctor. Karp explains the let downs and emotional highs that people experience while searching for an answer to their illness, which is just a small part of coping and adapting with depression. It’s the journey of the illness that finally enables us to cope and adapt.The way to adapt to any problem is by finding a positive. "Depression has made me a stronger person somehow. I mean in learning to handle this kind of thing" (unemployed female.) God works through the trials in our lives. I personally have accepted my depression as a challenge to become closer to God. It is my faith in God that will grow through my personal struggle with depression. It is hard for me to imagine how people find understanding without God, I guess that’s why I feel blessed because God is a part of my difficult journey through life. "The thing about depression is that it is so overwhelming and anyone who takes it on is going to lose. As a family and friend-anyone who is close-it’s too overwhelming. And the only way to deal with someone else’s depression is to maintain your own life and to understand that person and empathize and be there as you can be. But recognize that fundamentally it’s their experience and you’re not going to shift it. All you can do as a friend is to allow it to happen and to be there again and again and again" (male therapist.) Depression in a sense is a very contagious illness. It "infects" those who are close to a person suffering with depression. Karp say’s that one of his personal concerns was what affect would his depression have on his Children. Depression not only affects the ...
