Watching someone you love struggle with depression is difficult. It is never easy to see a loved one in pain whether it be physical or emotional. In fact, I have come to believe that there is no pain like emotional pain. I know that losing an arm is painful. But coping with mental pain is so much harder. I'm not sure why.

Scientists tell us that depression has a genetic component. That is very obvious in my family. Fifteen people in my mother's family have committed suicide. Though many of them occurred in Germany during the war, others were more recent. My father's family also suffered from depression but chose to medicate themselves with alcohol. Most died early from liver disease, malnourishment and cancers associated with alcohol abuse. It almost seemed inevitable that my daughters and I would battle depression in our lives.

It is hard enough to deal with your own depression without worrying about your children's mental health as well. It is my hope that, because of my honesty and openness about this subject, it will be easier for my girls to recognize the signs and get help should they need it. If that is the case, then my years of struggling with depression will be of worth. It is true that God always uses our troubles to minister to others. The Bible tells us that "we are to comfort others with the comfort that we have been given." That is exactly what I want to do.