A couple of years ago, Jyoti Basu (name changed), lost a very close friend. Since then, life has not been the same for her. She lost appetite and came down to 35 kg. She started sleeping at odd hours and would burst into tears for no apparent reason. She started to hate herself, suffered from blackouts, lashed out at people and had a tough time dealing with life in general. Falling ill had become a part and parcel of her life and at one time, she was even hospitalised. One of the doctors, concerned about her health, spoke to her mother and informed her that this was more than just a physical ailment and that she should take her to a psychiatrist. Shortly thereafter, Basu was diagnosed with clinical depression. She tells her story: