At 14, Lacey didn’t have the words to describe her depression—just the tears, the withdrawal, and the deep confusion of feeling broken despite a stable life. In this powerful episode, she reflects on what changed everything: finding a therapist who listened, getting the right diagnosis, and hearing her grandmother share a life-changing truth—“You’re not alone.”

Now a social worker, Lacey shares her full-circle journey from silently suffering teen to mental health advocate. Her story is a beacon of hope, especially for anyone wondering if life can get better. It can. This is the beginning of that hope.

Primary Topics Covered:

What teenage depression looks like without a clear external trigger
Lacey’s transformation from outgoing to withdrawn at age 14
The emotional and physical symptoms that signaled deeper struggles
The impact of being heard, understood, and validated in therapy
Why finding the right therapist—and sticking with it—matters
How hearing her grandmother’s story changed Lacey’s life
What “the beginning of hope” feels like for someone with depression
Lessons learned through lived experience and professional practice
How vulnerability creates powerful human connection
Why mental health is a spectrum, not a fixed diagnosis

Timestamps:

00:00 Podcast intro and welcome to Season 19
01:02 Lessons from interviewing hundreds of people with depression
02:07 Letting conversations flow beyond expectations
03:20 Meet Lacey and her early experience of depression at 14
04:46 From energetic extrovert to isolated introvert
05:28 When the crying wouldn’t stop: recognizing something deeper
06:46 Therapy begins—and everything starts to change
07:55 Learning mental health matters just as much as physical health
08:53 Medication trials, therapy, and building emotional awareness
10:07 Why sadness isn’t the enemy—and acceptance is key
10:39 The importance of finding the *right* therapist
11:43 A conversation with her grandmother changes everything
13:06 “The beginning of hope” and the power of shared family stories
13:54 How vulnerability became her greatest strength as a social worker
14:20 The blurry line between mental health and mental illness
15:34 Rethinking mental illness as human responses to inhuman circumstances
16:06 Gratitude for therapists who help us hold space for all we feel
16:52 Remembering that no one is happy all the time—and that’s okay
17:34 Tease for part two: recovery, peer support, and deeper connection

Explore mental health and addiction treatment options at recovery.com
Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/GivingVoiceToDepression/
Terry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/givingvoicetodepression/

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