In this deeply personal episode of Giving Voice to Depression, guest Ari Cohen shares her journey of living with depression since childhood. Diagnosed at 11, Ari spent years defining herself by her illness and pursuing recovery mainly to ease others’ worries or to meet external expectations.

It wasn’t until her late 20s—through a trauma-informed women’s outpatient program—that Ari began shifting her motivation: choosing to recover and live for herself. Along the way, she reveals how suicidal thoughts, family loss, and lived experiences shaped her perspective, and how learning self-compassion helped her begin to believe she was worthy of a life worth living.

This episode is a reminder that self-care is not selfish. Healing is possible when we stop living only for others and start embracing recovery for ourselves.

Link to Families for Depression Awareness site: https://www.familyaware.org/

Primary Topics Covered:

How Ari’s depression began at age 11 with physical symptoms
Early treatment with antidepressants and the onset of suicidal thoughts
The importance of supportive doctors, parents, and social workers
The impact of her stepbrother’s suicide on her personal commitment to seek help
Why meeting peers with lived experience was life-changing
How external motivators (family, school, camp) shaped her recovery path
The turning point in her late 20s: “Who are you doing this for?”
Learning to practice self-compassion and see herself as worthy
Why caring for yourself doesn’t mean doing it by yourself
Tools like the Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) to manage warning signs

Timestamps

00:11 Introduction and hosts welcome
01:40 Why discussions often focus on others instead of the person struggling
02:26 Guest introduction: Ari Cohen’s background and journey
03:11 Diagnosed with depression at age 11
05:14 Early treatment and first suicidal thoughts triggered by medication
06:37 Emergency room experience and the importance of family support
08:15 High school years and the impact of her stepbrother’s suicide
09:29 Making a personal commitment to ask for help
10:13 Meeting a social worker who asked the life-changing question: “What do YOU need?”
11:12 Discovering the healing power of peer connection
11:28 Entering trauma-informed outpatient treatment in her late 20s
12:00 Writing a letter to suicide and seeing its role in her life story
12:06 Facing the pivotal question: “Who are you doing this for?”
13:10 Shifting from living for others to healing for herself
15:15 The difference between self-care for yourself vs. doing it by yourself
16:35 Gentle strategies for cultivating self-compassion
18:26 Hosts reflect on Ari’s wisdom and insights
20:27 Introducing WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) for upcoming episodes
22:25 Closing reflections and reminders

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/