Honest discussions on depression, suicide

LETTERS LETTERS@USATODAY.COM

Please pass along to Kirsten Powers my thanks for her recent column, “Americans are depressed and suicidal because something is wrong with our culture.”

I really appreciate the courage it took for her to share her own story of depression and thoughts of suicide.

As she detailed the unfolding of her experience, I started to think about how I could be more attentive to my family members and friends, and how I could be more honest with others about how I am doing.

I think we do a lot of “comparing of our insides with others’ outsides,” as the somewhat popular saying goes.

Powers challenges us to keep things real.

Annie Young

Burnsville, Minn.

FACEBOOK USA TODAY OPINION

Mental health is just as important as physical health, but for the most part it is ignored. When people seek therapy, they are often shunned by others who seem to think that depression or anxiety is contagious. Or they are told to “deal with it.” William Travis

I suppose a person’s true wealth is measured by the quality of care, level of commitment and fierce dedication from those who surround you. All the money in the world wasn’t a factor with Kate Spade, and all the “success” in the world wasn’t enough for Anthony Bourdain. Despair is like a slow-acting poison, and if you don’t find an antidote, it can be deadly. Michael Anthony Shea