There Are Many Faces to Depression and Many Paths to Recovery

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Even though I was a psychology major in college, it caught me off guard when my therapist said I had high-functioning depression. I didn’t feel sad, I just felt numb. I was emotionally detached from myself and others. Yet, I told myself I was fine because I woke up each morning, showered, got dressed, showed up to work, did everything I needed to, and went to the gym before heading home at the end of the day. Treatment involved a combination of talk therapy, a low-dose antidepressant for six months, and a lot of self-care.

When I am doing my presentations on lawyer well-being, I make a point to talk about the many faces of depression. Sure, for some, depression can look as you might imagine: the inability to function or fulfill one’s daily responsibilities and to be in a constant state of gloom. But this isn’t true for everyone. As you’ll see from the stories below, there are many faces to depression and many paths for getting better.