Giving Voice to Depression

Why do so many people wait years before asking for help with depression? For award-winning television journalist Ted Perry, the answer was simple: stigma. In this candid conversation, Ted shares why he kept his depression hidden for years, how grief after his father's death intensified his symptoms, and why finally accepting therapy and antidepressant medication changed his life. He also reflects...

How do you help someone with depression when they believe they're a burden? Pam knows that feeling all too well. After years of suppressing depression, childhood trauma, and overwhelming life stress, she experienced a severe depressive episode that lasted more than three years. During that time, she was hospitalized four times, survived a suicide attempt, and struggled to believe she would ever ex...

What if there were a free, portable tool you could use almost anywhere to help reduce stress and emotional overwhelm? In this episode, Terry and Bridget explore Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) — commonly known as tapping — with EFT expert Brad Yates. Tapping combines gentle stimulation of acupressure points with focused attention on thoughts and emotions. Supporters of the technique describe it...

How do you explain depression to a child? For Todd Rennebohm, that question became deeply personal. After years of living with depression, anxiety, ADHD, alcoholism, suicidal thoughts, and multiple hospitalizations, Todd found himself facing one of the darkest nights of his life. What began as a desperate attempt to leave something behind for his children eventually became Sometimes Daddy Cries, a...

What does it mean to live with suicidal thoughts — and not be actively suicidal? In this powerful episode, Wally shares what it’s like to experience daily suicide ideation while actively managing their mental health. With the increased visibility of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, conversations about suicide are more public than ever. But there’s often confusion:Does having suicidal thought...

Can you be depressed and not even realize it? Psychologist, author, and TEDx speaker Dr. Margaret Rutherford joins us to explore a powerful and often overlooked topic: high-functioning and perfectly hidden depression .In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, we unpack why so many people deny their depression — even to themselves. Dr. Margaret explains the difference between:  Classic depression (o...

Can you be depressed and not even realize it? Psychologist, author, and TEDx speaker Dr. Margaret Rutherford joins us to explore a powerful and often overlooked topic: high-functioning and perfectly hidden depression .In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, we unpack why so many people deny their depression — even to themselves. Dr. Margaret explains the difference between:  Classic depression (o...

What happens when people speak openly about depression? In this Ripple Report episode, we hear how honest conversations about mental health create real-world change — from classrooms to hotlines to theater stages. A New York theater director shares how listening to personal stories of depression helped her manage anxiety during a major life transition. She describes how having voices in her ear “h...

What does a bipolar depressive episode actually feel like? In this early archive episode, 28-year-old Brooklyn artist Ben shares candidly about living with bipolar disorder and depression — including what happens when medication changes trigger a rough patch. Ben describes:  What a “code level orange or red” depressive episode looks like   The emotional contradictions of depression (lonely but avo...

Depression isn’t laziness. It isn’t weakness. And it’s not just sadness. In this powerful and deeply honest conversation, licensed therapist and suicide attempt survivor Aja Chavez joins Terry McGuire to unpack what depression really looks like — including the intrusive, convincing lies it tells us. They explore:  How to recognize depression in yourself or someone you love   Why suicidal thoughts...

What does depression actually feel like? In this special crossover episode with Recoverable, Terry interviews licensed therapist and suicide attempt survivor Aja Chavez about what depression really looks like — beyond the stereotypes. They discuss:  Why depression doesn’t always look like sadness   The difference between laziness and clinical depression   What high-functioning depression is (and w...

What do you do when someone you love has depression — and you don’t? In this episode, Chris shares her experience living with depression since middle school, while her boyfriend Chris offers an honest look at what it’s like to support someone through depressive episodes without having depression himself. They discuss:  The impact of stigma on seeking help   Why many people hide depression from emp...

What is hidden or "smiling" depression? It’s showing up to work, cracking jokes, caring for your family — while a loop in your mind repeats, “I want to die.”In this episode, Andrew shares his experience with high-functioning depression and the exhausting mask he wore for decades before receiving a formal diagnosis. For twenty years, he knew something was wrong — but didn’t seek professional help u...

In Part 2 of our 500th episode special, Terry McGuire, Carly McCollow, and Dr. Anita Sanz reflect on the most powerful lessons learned from five hundred consecutive weeks of conversations about depression. This episode moves beyond statistics and milestones and into something far more meaningful: what actually helps people survive, manage, and live with depression. You’ll hear reflections on:  Man...

What does it mean to reach 500 episodes of a podcast about depression? In this milestone episode, Terry and Carly are joined by psychologist & former co-host Dr. Anita Sanz to reflect on the journey from 106 downloads in the first month to over 3 million plays across 171 countries. But this episode isn’t about numbers. It’s about people. It’s about the listener lying in bed wondering how they’...

If you’re struggling with depression, what actually helps? In Part 2 of this special retrospective conversation, Terry and her sister Bridget reflect on five years of lived-experience interviews and the practical tools guests have used to manage depression and suicidal thoughts. This episode moves beyond awareness and into action. They discuss:  Journaling techniques (including creative ways to sa...

What does depression really feel like — especially when you don’t even realize you’re experiencing it? In this special retrospective episode, Terry sits down with her sister and original co-host, Bridget, to reflect on hundreds of conversations about depression — and what they’ve learned along the way. After hearing more than 300 stories of lived experience, one thing has become clear: depression...

If the world feels heavy right now — you're not imagining it. In Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Jeffrey Rubin, we explore how to cope with depression and anxiety during overwhelming times. From constant news cycles to collective trauma, many of us are operating in survival mode. Dr. Rubin offers practical strategies to protect your mental health without disengaging from reality: How to “titra...

What if depression isn’t an enemy — but a message? In this episode, Dr. Jeffrey Rubin, a pioneer in integrating Eastern meditation with Western psychotherapy, shares a powerful reframing of depression. Instead of viewing it as proof that something is wrong with us, he invites us to consider what it might be trying to tell us. Dr. Rubin explains: Why depression often feels permanent (even though it...

What does depression actually feel like from the inside? In this candid conversation, Terry McGuire shares the origin story behind the Giving Voice to Depression podcast — and opens up about her own experience with major depression, antidepressants, intrusive thoughts, and the isolating voice of the illness. She describes how depression “talks in your own voice,” how it infiltrates your thinking b...

What if the “sad kid” in school wasn’t just sensitive — but struggling with depression? In this powerful episode of Giving Voice to Depression, Sally looks back at her childhood and teenage years and recognizes signs of depression that were misunderstood or overlooked. Excessive sleeping. Dark poetry. Persistent sadness. Thoughts about suicide. A lonely letter written at age ten. At the time, ment...

When Kathleen’s life fell apart near age 50 after a traumatic family event, she found herself battling severe depression, anxiety, PTSD, and suicidal thoughts . After years of therapy and treatment-resistant depression, a turning point came through an unexpected source — crocheting tiny hearts .In this episode of Giving Voice to Depression, Kathleen shares how creating and distributing these handm...

When depression runs in families, so can silence. In this deeply personal episode, Giving Voice to Depression listener Alexander shares his journey from hiding his pain to opening up about it — and helping his family do the same. After years of quietly managing chronic illness, anxiety, and depression, Alexander realized he couldn’t keep pretending he was “fine.” What began as a search for underst...

When depression takes hold, even the smallest tasks — doing the dishes, making your bed, sending a text — can feel insurmountable. In this honest and compassionate conversation, writer Molly Bacchus joins host Terry McGuire to talk about what she calls “The Impossible Task.”Molly’s viral description of this experience gave language to something millions silently endure: the crushing paralysis of d...

In this inspiring episode of Giving Voice to Depression, wellness expert and author Darin Olien — co-host of Netflix’s Down to Earth with Zac Efron — opens up about his personal experiences with depression and shares how physical and mental health are deeply connected. Olien, known for his best-selling books SuperLife and Fatal Conveniences, discusses how diet, hydration, sleep, trauma, and emotio...