Depression: A World Crisis Life is hard, but that is no reason to end it. One of the key goals of Road to Recovery Live is to encourage suicide prevention among those struggling with depression. Through my organization based in Chicago, Illinois, I hope to share stories that bring awareness of depression and enlightenment about the extent of mental illness to the world. My aim is to put together a world community to prevent people from harming themselves. "We are not alone. "We share this planet together." According to the World Health Organization, depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Over 350 million people globally suffer from depression. Suicide and self-inflicted injury is now a global health priority. In the United States, suicide is one of the top ten leading cause of death.

Nations must now to join together and find ways to make our world brighter to those who are suffering from sadness. We need to end the social stigma associated with mental illness and reach out to those who need both hope and help.

Depression does not discriminate. It touches people of all ages, all races and all social status and crosses all boarders.Throughout history, many of our famous world leaders and great minds suffered in silence with depressions. Famed figures such as Abraham Lincoln, Sir Winston Churchill, Theodore Roosevelt, Martin Luther King, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Ludwig van Beethoven, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and so forth. Many are those we have loved and admired recently such as Diana, Princess of Wales, Robin Williams, Jim Carrey, etc.

My goal is a global reach worldwide to learn from other nations how depression is treated within their cultures and to share solutions for a common cause for cures and healing methods. One nation alone does not have all the answers; together the inclusiveness of ideas from all regions will help serve the common mental health of our world with its depression crisis.

While in my Partial Hospitalization Treatment Program we learned how food can work with our brain to change our moods. With this enlightenment, I have decided to set out on a global quest to test mood foods from around the world and how they can help with depression. Sounds simple. However, with so many foods and so many moods, it would wonderful to know which work best so we could stress less. Reaching out worldwide, we will discover international recipes and exotic foods that not only delight our taste buds but are also brain boosters. In addition, we will learn together about alternative healing ideas and practices that have proven successful in other countries. 

My research in culinary creations and Mood Foods will be published and shared with others seeking new ways to win our battle against depression, panic attacks, stress and anxiety. I call it The International Mood Foodie Celebrity Chef Challenge. I invite everyone from the four corners of our world to join in both my research and finding new healthy recipes for my culinary challenge. I am calling on diplomats, chefs, culinary schools, restauranteurs, mental health professionals, health organizations, nutritionists and doctors to assist in this international research project.

My depression diet is meant to lift spirits. Did you know that one glass of champagne takes less than five minutes to release serotonin in our brain, which gives us that feel good high, Maybe that is why we feel so bubbly afterwards.TV host Ellen DeGeneris also reminds us that "desserts" spelled backward spells "stressed". Who can feel stressed while indulging in delicious desserts? We'll put it to the test-yum,yum!

Please join with me and become a "Mood Foodie". Help our world smile again.

Connecting Continents, Countries, & Cultures for Change: No More Stigma