| I am a 53-year old man who has been declared | | | | coffee mugs, beer steins, wall and desk clock, baseball |
| officially disabled for almost a decade now. I never | | | | caps, and, you name it, we make it. |
| really cared much for labels, but if our society deems it | | | | All this is due to research on the Internet and making |
| important for governmental reasons to put one on me, | | | | phone calls. Oddly enough, a disabled person, and that |
| then, indeed, that's me. | | | | person is me, can write a lucid, professional email, talk |
| I had worked for about two decades in a myriad of | | | | on the phone professionally, create a social network |
| jobs such as sales, marketing, public relations, media | | | | and blog professionally, and write articles, hopefully |
| production and the like. It was difficult for me to keep a | | | | professionally. The old boy network, who was once so |
| job as I had depression, at least that is what I was | | | | involved in keeping a stigma attached to depression |
| "labeled" to have. I had been treated with | | | | and/or disability is out of the picture now. I have no |
| antidepressants and talk therapy for many years but | | | | excuses anymore not to succeed. I deal with people |
| was not getting better. Finally, I was told I could not | | | | who want me to succeed, and it helps them succeed. |
| work, that "I was too depressed". | | | | When I create a new cartoon product, I generally |
| Now I had a lot of time on my hands so I began | | | | create at least ten new jobs from artistry, to |
| studying depression. It did not take me long to discover | | | | manufacturing, to drop-shipping, to heat press digital |
| a disease called "TRD" or labeled by the psychiatric | | | | reproduction, to courier, etc. And I do it allfrom my |
| community, "treatment resistant depression". I was one | | | | home. |
| of the few lucky ones who received the only | | | | Oh, and this disabled person (that is, me) finished three |
| treatment for it, a vagus nerve implant. You see, TRD | | | | years of business college online, at an accredited |
| is actually not a mental illness, in and of itself, but a | | | | university at age 52. I am 53 now and plan to return |
| faulty vagus nerve, of which I had, will mimic the signs | | | | next year to finish and go for an MBA. |
| of depression, lethargy, etc. After I received the | | | | Again, on the Internet. Why waste time with people |
| treatment, my life took dramatic changes. | | | | who are more concerned with "labeling" me so as to |
| Though I am still labeled "disabled" by many, I have | | | | put parameters on my limitations, than those who |
| found that the Internet has leveled the playing field. I | | | | know me just as a person and helping me succeed. |
| say that a bit facetiously and with a bit of sarcasm, | | | | I am not saying a depressed or disabled person should |
| because, during my "depressed state", I was keenly | | | | hide behind his or her computer all day, I spend plenty |
| aware of the discrimination targeted my way, though | | | | of time interacting with people, handing out business |
| those who were being discriminating were not aware | | | | cards, going on talk shows, and doing as much as I can |
| of my awareness. I guess they thought people with | | | | in the public. |
| depression or any disability don't have awareness or | | | | Labeling is a bad thing. Have you ever noticed that a |
| intelligence. We do. | | | | person with a mental illness or physical disability is the |
| So I thought it was the end of the world when my | | | | only person labeled by his illness or disease? If a |
| work days in corporate America came to an end. | | | | person has cancer, we don't say "He's cancerous", or |
| How would I ever survive on disability? I did. One learns | | | | if a person has diabetes, I've yet to hear, "There goes |
| to adjust. But there are some painful growth moments | | | | Mr. High Blood Sugar!". But if a person has depression, |
| in that adjustment. But it was all worth it. | | | | 100% of the time "He/she's depressed" or "has |
| With extra time on my hands, I learned to "nearly | | | | depression" or "mental illness". That usually puts an end |
| master" the Internet. I started a cartoon project with no | | | | to the conversation as the stigma remains and many |
| money, Londons Times Cartoons which in less than a | | | | don't want to know much more. That is ashamed. |
| decade became the most visited offbeat cartoon site | | | | It might do them good to go to some of the famous |
| on the Internet (and still is). It's rankings keep growing | | | | people with depression websites such as |
| and by the end of this month we will have had 9 million | | | | [ , or . I am always surprised to see my name on each |
| visitors within the past two years. That may not sound | | | | of the pages. There are hundreds of them; simply |
| like much but for a cartoon site it is. Most cartoons on | | | | google "famous people with depression". My name sits |
| the Internet last from 3-6 months and the others are | | | | right there usually next to Abraham Lincoln or Elton |
| gone within a year. | | | | John. |
| I opened two cartoon gift mega-stores and six niche | | | | So you see, depression is considered a disability. But |
| funny gift shops. Sales remain brisk. I have affiliates | | | | when you read the names on these websites and see |
| through my manufacturer 3drose, many of them on | | | | who is or was depressed, it truly makes you wonder, |
| Amazon and they sell plenty as well. | | | | first, why there is such a negative connotation |
| I create all sorts of products with my cartoons on | | | | attached to the label, and secondly, why the label even |
| them; greeting cards, t-shirts, jogging suits, mouse pads, | | | | exists. |