Narratives of depression Traumatic and chronic experiences: violence by men against

Without exception, when I invited women to talk about recovery, they began with their stories of depression. They told of profound and debilitating sadness, of being unable to think, feel, or relate to others or themselves. They described being at `rock bottom' and being lost in a `black hole' of hopelessness. They talked of loss, pain, emptiness, and isolation. They talked of suicide.