The ‘Silent Stalker’, the ‘Noonday Demon’, the ‘Black Cloud’, what ever you want to call it…‘IT‘ can paralyze your world and bring your soul to its knees.

You can feel fine one moment, and fall into a dark abyss the next.

One minute you’re living in a world of bliss, and the next you’re dying in a realm of misery.

‘IT‘ appears out of no where, latches onto every part of your being, and consumes your mind, body, and spirit. You don’t see color anymore, rather only shades of grey.

If ‘IT‘ is as immersed in your life as ‘IT‘ is in mine, you aren’t able to hide from ‘IT‘, ‘IT‘ finds you no matter where you are.

If ‘IT‘ is as transfixed with you as ‘IT‘ seems to be with me, ‘IT‘ will segregate you from any and everyone you ever even thought you cared about.

You are fooled into believing that ‘IT‘s’ existence has died, only to witness ‘IT‘s’ resurrection just as the wounds once last left behind begin to heal.

‘IT‘ becomes so much a part of you that some, like me, have tried to cut ‘IT‘ out with a blade. Slicing over and over and over again, brainwashed into thinking that harming yourself will cripple the nemisis. In the end, each cut of the knife only makes ‘IT‘ stronger.

‘IT‘ can become so much a part of you, that ‘IT‘ can transmit to your children, and your children’s children.

You don’t know how to explain ‘IT‘ so you don’t tell anyone about ‘IT‘. You don’t know how you got ‘IT‘ so you don’t know how to get rid of ‘IT‘.

So instead you embrace ‘IT‘. Accepting the ever increasing grip ‘IT‘ has on you. Day after Day. Month after Month. Year after Year. Treasuring the moments ‘IT‘ loosens its grasp, making the most of the times ‘IT‘ allows you to breathe.

You don’t have to understand depression for your life to be effected by it. Depression is an unseen enemy that could be walking hand in hand with someone you know.

Depression may be the intruder that has taken over your own life!

The following websites provide valuable resources, support and materials for a variety of mental illnesses.

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance – DBSA
Support, educational materials, brochures, resources for family members, and much more.
Walkers In Darkness
Provides information and support for anyone dealing with mental illness.
Counselor
Largest informational database containing information on mental health news and resources.
National Alliance on Mental Illness – NAMI
Grassroots organization dedicated to improving the lives of persons living with serious mental illness.
National Institute of Mental Health – NIMH
Largest scientific organization in the world dedicated to research focused on the understanding, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders and the promotion of mental health. Free brochures and more.
National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse
Offers news and alerts, training curricula, resources, publications, technical assistance and a consumer driver services directory