Yesterday I posted about my lifelong struggle with depression, anxiety and my Bipolar Express. Wait. Make that the Bipolar II Express. The reaction to that post was overwhelming. I had more hits on my website than I’ve ever had. Here’s what I learned:

Depressive Disorders Affect Nearly Everyone

The number of people who said they struggle with depression, anxiety or Bipolar or struggle with family members or friends afflicted with a depressive illness was staggering. I had friends email me privately to tell me about their illnesses and failed suicide attempts. Some wrote about friends who sadly didn’t fail.

When you look at the facts, however, this should come as no surprise. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates 350 million people globally suffer from depression, and the number is growing.

The WHO projects depression will be the No. 1 global disease burden by 2030, surpassing heart disease and cancer. It is anticipated that it will be No. 2 by 2020.

And here’s what I love: the report says most developing countries spend less than 2% of their national budgets on mental healthcare.

What the hell!?

We need to stop being afraid to talk about depressive illness and face it head on. And it’s already begun. Celebrities are already talking about their struggles. The more we can get it into the spotlight the better.

There Is Help

Okay, I didn’t really learn this yesterday but it bears repeating: There is help!

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is open 24/7 on 1-800-273-8255. If you need it, call. Yesterday alone saw a spike in calls to the NJ Hopeline. That number is 855-654-6735.

There are groups like Mental Health America and the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance that can help.

Try to get out and exercise. If you can’t bring yourself to do that, try to get out in the sunshine. Studies show that just being in the sunlight can help.

There are also some great books. One of my favorites is “Shoot the Damn Dog: A Memoir of Depression.” By page 2 I felt such relief because I discovered I wasn’t alone and there were other people in the world going through the same thing. Buy it here.