My name is Melissa Bender. I am a consumer/survivor of depression.

I have frequently found creativity to be a useful tool when I have been dealing with depressive bouts. Even if it doesn't always make me feel less depressed, I can at least look at my creations and see that something good came out of an illness that doesn't have much good going for it. It's nice to take something difficult and use it to create something beautiful, something that you are proud of, and - best of all - something that can reach out to someone else who is suffering and speak to them in a very powerful way, the limits of which are only set by the limits of our imaginations.

I hope you enjoy these poems, some negative, some positive - but all coming from the heart of my own life experience. I always secretly hoped that I would be able to share these words and thoughts with other people someday.

I guess today is the day.

Grey Doesn't Matter - printer version Innocent Heart - printer version
Morning Pages - printer version

Melissa's Drawings can be found in the Art section.