I started writing about depression 25 years ago, a different kind of depression.

In 1983, one year out of law school, I began what I thought would be a very brief stint as a financial journalist. I stayed in the field till 1992. My career involved two countries (New Zealand and Australia), two editorships of two financial journals, a business editorship of a Sunday national newspaper, a feature writer position for a daily paper, various freelance gigs, and three books.

These days, we are hearing...