(Background Music) 
I had a Black Dog. His name was
depression.

Whenever the Black Dog made an appearance, I felt empty

and life to seem to slow down. He would
surprise me with a visit for no reason

or occasion. The Black Dog made me look

and feel older than my years.

When the rest of the world seemed to be
enjoying life.

I could only see it through the Black Dog.
Activities that usually brought me

pleasure

suddenly ceased to. He liked to ruin
my appetite.

He chewed up my memory

and my ability to concentrate.

Doing anything or going anywhere with the
Black Dog

required superhuman strength. At social
occasions

he'd sniff out what confidence I had and chase
it away. My biggest fear

was being found out. I worried that
people would judge me. Because of the shame and

stigma

of the Black Dog, I was constantly worried that I'd be found out

so I invested vast amounts of energy into
covering him up.

Keeping up an emotional lie is exhausting.

Black Dog could make me think and say
negative things.

He could make me irritable and difficult to be around.

He would take my love

and bury my intimacy.

He loved nothing more than to wake me up
with highly repetitive

and negative thinking. He also liked to
remind me how exhausted I was going to

be the next day.

Having a Black Dog in your life isn't so
much about feeling a bit

down, sad or blue. At its worst it's about
being devoid of feeling

altogether. As I got older the Black Dog got
bigger

and he started hanging around all the
time.

I'd chase him off with whatever I thought
might send him running.

But more often than not he'd come out
on top. Going down became easier

than getting up again.

So I became rather good at self
medication.

Which never really helped.

Eventually I felt totally isolated from
everything and everyone.

The Black Dog had finally succeeded

in hijacking my life. When you lose all joy
in life you can begin to question what the

point of it is.

Thankfully this was the time that I sought
professional help.

This was my first step towards recovery
and a major turning point in my life.

I learned that it doesn't matter who you
are the Black Dog affects millions and

millions of people.

It is an equal opportunity mongrel.

I also learned that there was no silver
bullet or magic pill.

Medication can help some and others
might need a different approach

altogether.

I also learned that being emotionally
genuine and authentic

to those who are close to you can be an
absolute game changer.

Most importantly I learned not to be
afraid of the Black Dog

and I taught him a few new tricks of my own.

The more tired and stressed you are the 
louder he barks. So it's important to learn

how to quiet your mind.

It's been clinically proven that
regular exercise can be as effective for

treating mild to moderate depression

as antidepressants. So go for a walk or a
run, leave the mutt behind.

Keep a mood journal. Getting your thoughts
on paper can be cathartic

and often insightful. Also keep track of
the things that you have to be grateful for.

The most important thing to remember is
that no matter how

bad it gets. If we take the right steps

talk to the right people, Black Dog Days
can and will pass.

I wouldn't say that I'm grateful for
the Black Dog but he's been an

incredible teacher.

He forced me to re-evaluate and simplify my
life.

I learnt that rather than running away
from my problems it's better to embrace

them.

Black Dog may always be part of my
life

but he'll never be the beast that he was.

We have an understanding. I've learned
through knowledge, patience,

discipline and humour the worst Black Dog can be made to heel.

If you're in difficulty never be afraid
to ask for help.

There is absolutely no shame in doing so.
The only shame

is missing out on life.