After a tough year that has affected everyone around the globe in different ways, will 2021 provide any relief? One thing many of us do have in common these days to varying degrees is an unrelenting sense of anxiety and depression. Sometimes we can use our coping mechanisms to get through it. But what happens if, despite our best efforts, we can’t seem to work through these feelings on our own? In these moments, we may find, with the help of a doctor, that we have a form of depression.

In episode 1, Joanna and Heather spoke with Dr. Jon Alpert, Chair of Psychiatry at Einstein, and Anonymous Annie, a friend who is living with depression and anxiety, to help us better understand how to think about these disorders and what it’s like to live with them. In episode 2, we’ll continue our interview by exploring the brain regions involved, how research is being conducted to develop new treatment options, and how social media has affected those with depression.