In any given year, one in four Americans suffers from a diagnosable
mental illness--and yet there is still a significant stigma attached to
being labeled as "mentally ill." We hear about worst-case scenarios, but
in many--maybe even most--cases, there is much room for hope. These
frank, often intimate stories reflect the writers' struggles to
overcome--both as professionals and as individuals, as current
therapists and as former patients--the challenges presented by
depression, bipolar disorder, OCD, and other mental disorders. These
dramatic narratives communicate clearly the rewards of helping patients
move forward with their lives, often through a combination of
medication, talk therapy, and common sense. Collectively, these true
stories highlight the need for empathy and compassion between therapist
and patient, and argue for a system that encourages human connection
rather than diagnosis by checklist.