If you break your leg, and I sure hope you don't, but if you break your leg, that break in the leg bone is evident with the use of an x-ray. You can see the break. It's just a fact. You have a broken leg.

Likewise, there are many diseases that will show up as a result of a blood test. Chemicals go a certain way, they read the report, you have that

disease. Fact. Something like depression is trickier. Frustratingly tricky for people who

experience it, because there aren't a lot of objective binary standards in play. It doesn't show up

on x-rays or MRIs or CT scans. There's no depression

chemical component that can be read conclusively in a lab. And so we're left with a lot of

emotional and behavioral cues. Does the person sleep an inordinate amount? Or not sleep much

at all? Feelings of guilt or worthlessness, difficulty

concentrating or getting stuff done, do they have low energy, fatigue? Those could be signs

of depression, but someone could be depressed and not have those symptoms, or someone could

have those symptoms and not be depressed. It's similar with anxiety disorders.

You have a set of warning signs, but they might not all apply to someone's situation.

Or the symptoms might be there, but it's not really a disorder.

Mental health is tricky.

It's one of the reasons we explore mental health every week here on this program.

It's Depression Mode. I'm John Moe. I'm glad you're here.

Felicia Day has dealt with depression and anxiety for a long time, and she gets out of bed and gets stuff done.

She's a writer, actor, video maker, TV show, creator, and runner.

She created and starred in the web series The Guild.

She's acted on shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural, and the newer edition of Mystery Science Theater

3000.

Felicia co-founded an online media company called Geek and Sundry.

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