We released advanced copies of ‘Now That You Are Back’ on the weekend. A number of people have asked me how I feel about our personal story being available for people to read. Certainly when Richard first came up with the idea of writing the book I was keen but nervous. I put a number of restrictions on the information he was allowed to share in the book but as the book progressed I felt more and more like I needed to tell our whole story if it was going to have an impact. One of the big issues surrounding mental illness is the stigma attached and the unwillingness of people to talk about the illness. If we want to increase understanding, we need to give people the full picture of depression and how it impacts people on every level. So far all the reactions to the book have been really positive and people seem to appreciate how open we have been.

I remember years ago reading “April Fools Day” by Bryce Courtney. This is the Courtney family’s story of their son suffering from haemophilia and later HIV/AIDS. Their story really gave an insight into the illness, along with the difficulties faced by those caring for someone with HIV/AIDS. I’m not aware of ever having met anyone with HIV/AIDS but I think reading “April Fools Day” made me feel better equipped to know how to relate to someone who does have this devastating condition.

I hope “Now that You Are Back” is like this. Helpful not only for anyone who has been through, or is currently suffering from depression or anxiety disorder, helpful for anyone who is supporting or wanting to support someone who has depression or anxiety disorder but also helpful for anyone who just wants to be better educated on how they can help their “fellow man”.