It was with great sadness that this white man heard the news today that Mark Priestley, popular Australian actor from the TV drama All Saints took his life last night. It was revealed that he was a victim of depression for much of his adult life and, sure enough, this illness ultimately conspired to kill him. Only now are Australians realising how insidious a disease depression really is. It is not simply a "get over it" mood anomaly. It is not countered by a facile "keep your chin up son" type of mentality. It is a mental illness on par with the likes of bi-polar disorders, psychoses and even schizophrenia. Who knows how much Mark Priestley was receiving treatment for his illness; these things may be revealed in due course. What is known is that another number was tragically added to the growing suicide statistic as a result of a 'black dog' named depression. And the dog bites...
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