My Journey towards Better Mental Health
By Valerie Herrera I was recently privileged to direct an original play called Shadows of the Mind , written by Kanaan Hesseling. At the time it was written, Covid19 did not exist, which makes the timeliness of what is addressed in this play (depression, anxiety, suicide) so remarkable. The isolation that we collectively experienced in the past year has taken a toll on everyone. But for those that struggle with mental illness, it was like plugging in an amplifier. Everything was multiplied times ten. To make matters worse, mental health resources and treatment options became less accessible due to pandemic restrictions and an overburdened health care system. In my lifetime, I have suffered from varying degrees of depression and anxiety. Many years ago, I found myself at the lowest point in my life, isolated from family and friends and full of self-condemnation. In a moment of utter hopelessness and despair, I decided that the world was better off without me, and