Vicki Van Meter and the Signs, Treatments of Depression

Vicki Van Meter passed away this past Saturday, due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound, as reported by the Associated Press. You may remember Vicki as the 11-year-old who piloted a plane across the country in the 1990s, and then flew from the US to Europe at the age of 12. Ms. Van Meter was only 26 at the time of her death. Her family blamed her death on depression, which they had thought was under control.

Depression is a silent killer. Many people hide their feelings of depression from their families and friends, keeping the 'happy face' displayed in public view, and suffering alone. For years, I was one of those people. I was ashamed to tell people that I was having problems - so I kept my issues to myself. I smiled to everyone, participated in activities outside my home as well as I could, and acted as normally as possible. I had no idea what could be wrong - I had a wonderful husband, two gorgeous, well-behaved children. I had a good job, the car of my dreams. We had a nice house in a nice neighborhood, in a picturesque little country town. And my career in the military reserves was thriving. I didn't think of going for help - if I didn't know what was wrong with myself, how could anyone else help me? So, I kept everything inside, and my depression worsened.