Keeping on with a big piece of work can be a challenge. So I'm delighted when I find things that motivate me, that give me some uplift, especially when I'm in the decidedly unsexy editing phase. Recently I had my motivation lifted by an episode of Mama Mia, an Australian news programme that is always topical and entertaining. Mia Freedman, the Australian journalist who hosts the show, interviewed Nene King, former editor of Australian Women's Weekly, about her experience of depression after her husband died in a diving accident. 
Mia Freedman
Mia FreedmanDuring the lively panel discussion afterwards, one of the panellists said how important it was that people who had recovered from depression talked about their experiences. Her point was that there are so many people out there suffering from depression that these stories are vital to give them hope that things can get better. According to the World Health Organisation, depression is officially an epidemic, so there are millions of sufferers out there.
This touched a deep chord in me. During my most serious episode of major depression, in my mid-twenties, I was desperate for hope. I remember searching books and magazines for stories of people who'd got over severe depressions. One light in the darkness was hearing about a friend of a friend who'd had to leave work because she was so depressed and then recovered. I used to ask my friend for details of what this woman had done, just to feel hope that I could recover too. Thinking about this experience got me in touch again with one of the biggest reasons I'm writing - to 
share my experience of transforming depression into happiness with some of the millions who suffer this illness. Research shows that only about 20% of people with the illness experience periods of a year or more of not being depressed. So stories from those of us who've succeeded in doing this are very important. Every time my motivation slips a little I consider these facts and feel inspired to press on!
share my experience of transforming depression into happiness with some of the millions who suffer this illness. Research shows that only about 20% of people with the illness experience periods of a year or more of not being depressed. So stories from those of us who've succeeded in doing this are very important. Every time my motivation slips a little I consider these facts and feel inspired to press on!
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