Book excerpt: Depression is a rumor, until it is reality, and then it's as if nothing else was ever real. Still, no one will believe you. I find it hard to believe it myself. This book is for those who believe, and for those who want to. Depression is encased in misconceptions. The pain of going through a mental illness is already hard enough; to add myths only makes it that much more unbearable. By investigating the mystery of depression, it's possible to remove some of the fog around the fog. It's in sharing what we go through that we are empowered to make it through together. This book is a conversation so we can talk differently about depression, with the thoughtfulness it deserves. It's for both the person wrestling with depression and for those who want to help. How Hard It Really Is covers: - The science behind depression - The helpful (and unhelpful) dialogue around mental illness - The debate between seeing it as a choice and disease - Stories of survivors - A secret culture of suicide worship - An interview with a depressed doctor - The problem with finding a "cure" - A myriad of voices from nearly two-hundred surveys conducted over a year