Depression is a hard thing to talk about openly. I've endured many occasions over the years where I thought the world was caving in on me. Throughout my battles with mental suffering and booze, one thing has always lifted me up – other people's bravery and honesty. On Monday, March 3rd, of this past week, surgeon, author and speaker, Sherwin Nuland, passed away at the age of eighty-three. For those of you not familiar with the name, he was an award-winning author and head of Yale's surgery program. Considering a lobotomy in his forties, due to crippling depression that left him unable to get out of bed in the morning, he decided on electric shock therapy instead. In his masterful TED talk, he mixes humour (and occasionally colourful language) with searing honesty. It is a speech that leaves me breathless and emotionally wrung out every time. His vulnerability and belief in the redemption and resurrection within all of us makes it a truly cathartic experience. Well worth twenty minutes of your time. RIP, Sherwin.
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