Today, Just Like Yesterday: Defying Dysthymia One Challenge at a Time

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In 2004 Richard Kirby was diagnosed with depression. It was a label he hated. A decade later, however, he found out that his underlying problem was actually dysthymia, a chronic but mild form of depression from which he had almost certainly - and unknowingly - suffered since junior school. As his 50th birthday loomed ever closer, Richard decided he wanted to do something meaningful with his experiences of depression and dysthymia. With this in mind, he set out over the next few years to undertake 100 mental, physical and emotional challenges designed to raise awareness of the condition. Each challenge would require him to ask another person to help him - a reflection of the brave decision he made, at his lowest ebb, to seek help from a doctor. Today, Just Like Yesterday tells the breathtaking story of one man's efforts to tackle stigma around mental illness - in the most challenging way possible.

Author Bio

Richard Kirby was born in York in 1964 and lives near Middlesborough, UK. He was diagnosed with depression in 2004, a diagnosis that was refined ten years later to dysthymia, a mild, but chronic form of depression. Having first revealed his mental health issues in 2011, Richard began to both write and talk openly about his feelings and how the condition affected his life. Then, in 2014, he embarked on a series of 'challenges', designed to raise mental health awareness. Almost four years, and approaching one hundred challenges, later, Richard now has the chance to tell his story; and prove that it is possible to find the strength to fight back.