"* How long? Overall, about 25 years; professionally, 15 years.
* Depression IS serious, in it's clinical form. It's one of a small group of mental illness which have a worrisome level of suicide attempts. Treatment depends upon diagnosis, and then upon accurate discrimination of the causes, which can be multiple and diverse. Common belief, much supported by the drug companies and by too many physicians (who tend to make everything organic), is that it's simply a brain disease. Well, if so, then so is a problem poor writing skills! In reality, when the organic issues (if there are any) are addressed and resolved, what's left is about information management - the complex activity which is the brain's true business. The models which address this are information systems models, not physiological models. One doesn't tune one's car by bringing in a metallurgist, for pete's sake. So, we work to correct maladaptive emotional reactions and thinking errors, and to develop way of thinking and acting which lead to good feeling. Generally, this works."