Depression Is Devastating

People tend to react strongly in one of two ways when I tell them that they have clinical depression," says Rakesh Jain, MD, director of psychopharmacology at R/D Clinical Research Center in Lake Jackson, Texas. "Many people experience extreme relief. It's huge. They know they're not crazy, weak, or stupid."

Others react with denial, he says. "People often want to fight it on their own. They fear looking weak more than they fear being ill."

A feeling of failure
Pat McEvily, 52, of New Rochelle, N.Y., ignored his depression for 18 years after being diagnosed by a psychiatrist. His Irish Catholic upbringing left him feeling that medication would be a cop-out.