By Brian Neville

The memory is as fresh today as the feeling that night six years ago when I got up at around 2:30am and headed into the kitchen for a snack. It was as if a switch went offbut not the lights. It was the depression that had enveloped me for six years suddenly lifting.

And every day since, I thank the doctors who helped me achieve that goalthrough electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).

I was a successful businessman with a good life when I woke up on an earlier morning in 2006, feeling a bit blue. After six months, I started wondering why I wasnt getting pleasure out of anything anymore and sought help. It came in the form of prescription medication, which did nothing to lift the darkness that was enveloping me.

Ive developed some theories over the course of my journey. Everyone has experienced what I call SS or situation sadness. It could be over the loss of a job, a friend, or a spouse. But sooner or later something comes along to get you out of that situation.