This is my story of how I tamed what Winston Churchill referred to as his "BLACK DOG" of depression. It was written just for you. You have either suffered from episodes of depression, mild or maybe paralyzing, if not perhaps you know someone who is currently suffering. This book will help you understand the illness and the best way to provide support for your friend or relative. And this book is my effort at chipping away at the stigma of mental illness. It is the 21st century yet 2nd century thinking persists. Thousands of people suffer silently and needlessly because of the stigma. Today we are blessed with effective treatments for mild chronic depression, major depressive episodes, and depression related to bipolar disorder, they are of no value to someone who avoids seeking treatment. Much work remains to be done to completely erase all vestiges of the stigma. This book tells my personal battle with depression, and I promise it will inspire you and guide you if you are currently depressed. It will provide hope if you feel hopeless because I have been there and I have felt the pain and despair. Ultimately my diagnosis was "bipolar disorder" and there is much I am anxious to share about that as well.