Dec 21, 2016 3 min read

An editorial opinion from the Intelligencer in Doylestown:

With festive holiday lights and decorations almost everywhere we look, and joyous Christmas music playing nonstop at the malls and on the radio, it’s hard to imagine that anybody could be feeling down at this time of year.

But some people do. More than we think. In fact, people suffering from depression feel down almost all the time. Those awful feelings can get so bad that some lose the will to do much of anything, including even getting out of bed. A few eventually lose the will to go on – young people among them.

It is particularly disturbing when kids are victims of depression. Kids like Drew Bergman.

Drew, a Burlington, N.J., resident is 23 now. Depression started ravaging his life when he was 12. By 16, he had twice attempted suicide. In between, Drew dealt with his illness – among other ways – by cutting his arms and legs. He concealed the bloody evidence by wearing long pants and long sleeve shirts. That way nobody knew. He suffered in silence.

But Drew is silent no more. He speaks publicly about his illness in an effort to help other victims take control of their lives. That means getting the help they need. But getting help, even finding out what kind of help is available and how to access it, is a huge challenge – one that can consume the lives of parents. The fallout can affect every member of a family. Such is the destructive reach of depression.

Yet, tragically, the illness is misunderstood. It is too often treated merely as a behavioral issue, not a disease. Just as cancer or heart disease can run in a family, depression likewise is in the genes. Victims aren’t responsible for their depression. Still, many psychiatrists don’t accept insurance; neither do some therapists. So families have no choice but to pay out-of-pocket for treatments that can quickly become a hardship.

This is what Drew’s family encountered.

“I was scared and didn’t know what to do, and there was no one to help,” Drew’s mother recalled. First she had trouble finding a psychiatrist who would treat an adolescent. Finding one who’d take insurance was the next challenge.

Eventually, Drew spent two weeks receiving in-patient care. That was followed by intense four-times-a-week outpatient therapy, a regimen that lasted several months. Slowly, Drew put his life back together. He returned to school and got involved socially. Life got better.

It is the truth he holds out to others suffering in silence.

Drew Bergman’s triumph over adversity is inspirational for us. It should be educational for those who can make a difference – legislators and insurers primarily – by using the power they have to make help both more accessible and more affordable. In this season of giving, let us all put it on our list.