By Don Beehler

NASHVILLE, TN – The recent suicides of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain have shocked the nation and brought increased attention to the national epidemic of depression. With the U.S. suicide rate now at a 30-year high, countless individuals are trapped under the weight of depression and searching for answers. 

Author and speaker Patty Mason has first-hand experience with depression and a keen understanding of how it can lead to contemplating taking one’s own life. She also knows what it takes to break free of it.

“As a young wife and mother of three, I had everything this world values, yet I was constantly battling with depression. It finally got so bad that I became convinced my family would be better off without me, and I planned to take my life,” said Mason, founder of Liberty In Christ Ministries.

In her book Finally Free: Breaking the Bonds of Depression Without Drugs, Mason recounts her personal story of battling with depression to the point of suicide, and explains how she found hope and healing through Jesus Christ. She also offers practical tips on how to handle a depressed loved one.

“For a long time, I wore a mask that told the world I had it all, when inwardly I was dying. Even accomplishments left me feeling empty. But I had an image that I had it all together, and I didn’t want anyone to look down on me.”

More than 20 years later, Mason’s message is simple: If you are suffering from depression there is hope.

“I am living proof that God can and will redeem a harmful past in order to give hope to others. Our hope, our joy and our victory is only in Jesus Christ.”

Learn more at www.libertyinchristministries.com.