Used to be Depressed

Below is a copy of a report written by a fifteen year old client, Monica G.

Monica wrote the report for school about an "influential person" in her life. She kindly gave me permission to share her report with you, saying, "I hope that it helps others that are in the same predicament that I was in. I know that many parents don't like sending their kids to go see someone for their problems, so I hope that any parent who reads it will have a change in heart."

The report is reproduced here exactly as she wrote it.

     A person who has influenced my life would have to be Phil Mandel; he is an NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) Master Practitioner. I was sent to Mr. Mandel about four months ago. I had been diagnosed with depression and put on Prozac, but my parents who don't believe much in modern medicine, looked for an alternative solution. They were referred to Mandel through their chiropractor, who happens to be a friend of his and a client. My parents jumped at the chance to get me off Prozac and made an immediate appointment. Finding out later that day about the sudden change of treatment made me upset. I was quite happy (figuratively speaking) taking something I was almost sure would cure me of my depression.

     When I first met him I was surprised at how normal he seemed. When you think of anyone that deals with emotions or something like a psychiatrist, you expect them to come out holding a large notepad, and telling you to go lay on the over-stuffed couch. Mandel was very kind. He was about 6'1, thin, short gray hair, and glasses that rested snugly on the bridge of his nose. He has a small office in the back of a shop called The Crystal Heart.

     I'm not going to go into detail on what we talked about, but I will mention a few things we talked about and why I picked him as my influential person. After we talked for my hour I decided that it wasn't going to be as bad as I thought. We talked a lot about why I felt depressed, and what made me feel that way. He helped me get over the death of my grandmother who I had loved so much, and never had a chance to tell her so. I have gotten along with my brother a little more, because Mandel gave me advice on how not to get on his "bad side." He also helped me be able to trust my friends more, and not to think that they are al out to hurt me by blabbing everything I tell them. Mandel helped me in so many ways, and didn't make me feel like everything bad that happens in my life is all my fault. Now I know that problems between my friends should stay just that way, and I don't let myself get pulled into them and made to choose sides.

     Even though Mandel is only doing his job, it feels like I have a friend for life. Someone I know I can go to when I need help, and I know that he won't tell anybody what I had said. The reason I say that Mandel is an influential person is because he says that he was also depressed and had the same problems as I, and overcame them with hard work within himself. Now I know that I can do the same.