Mark Lawry has participated in depressive illness for most of his life. Only after nearly 20 years did a particularly brutal episode finally compel him to do the wise and sensible thing and seek help.

Sufferers from depressive illness, from a full range of cultures, over thousands of years have described a remarkably similar and consistent experience, such that there can be no doubt that it is a real thing. At the same time, the nature of each individual's experience of depressive illness varies and is unique.  It is vital that people feel able to be open and frank about their experiences of depressive illness. Mark shares his experience, alongside the experiences of others who have written about their depressive illness.

Up until the decisive intervention of depressive illness in 2005, Mark worked for 11 years as a lawyer in the city of London, specialising in intellectual property (copyright, patents, trade marks and the like). The intervention was sufficient to make him conclude that Ihe would be much better off not being a lawyer and was helped in this decision by the view that mankind as a whole would not be worse off for one fewer lawyer.

Prior to finally seeking help in 2005 Mark was terrified that his intermittent inability to cope would be found out causing his career and life to collapse catastrophically.  In fact, the help sought genuinely and significantly helped with insight and understanding of the affliction.  It became clear that trying to be a lawyer was not healthy.  Shortly after, Mark switched to being stay-at-home-dad, which gave him purpose and fulfillment and was undoubtedly much better  for his mental health.

Mark wanted to understand his affliction and to gain insight from this.  He searched for a book that would provide this comprehensive knowledge but couldn't find it.  He began researching and read over 160 books.  Depressive Brains shares all that he learned with anyone who wants, or feels entitled, to know all that is known about depressive illness.

Mark was born and grew up in Southampton and is a committed supporter of Southampton FC.  Whether this might be a cause in any way of his depressive illness remains unproven.