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Grandmother shares story of overcoming depression in new book

Juanita Rasmus, a longtime church leader, just released her book titled "Learning to Be: Finding Your Center after the Bottom Falls Out".

INDIANAPOLIS — A grandmother turned author is sharing how she learned to battle and win against serious depression.

Juanita Rasmus, a longtime church leader, just released her book titled "Learning to Be: Finding Your Center after the Bottom Falls Out".

Years ago, as Rasmus started her busy day helping her grandchildren, she suddenly had a breakdown after everyone left the house.

Juanita stayed in bed not knowing if something had happened to her physically. Eventually her husband and family encouraged her to seek professional help. A doctor tested Juanita for physical ailments that could lead to her lack of motivation and sudden emotional collapse. The once vibrant on-the-go grandmother was then diagnosed with major depression.

Credit: Juanita Rasmus
Juanita Rasmus wrote a book about her battle with depression and the importance of seeking help.

The diagnosis seemed unlikely to Juanita who had taken care of everyone else in both her natural and spiritual families. But after treatment and therapy, the grandmother is on a road to recovery and constant healing — which now includes sharing her story with others.

She hopes her book will not only to overcome the stigma of depression, but more importantly that you should seek help.

"I wanted people who have not experienced a mental health diagnosis to kind of have an inside look to know what it is like for the person and hopefully gain some compassion and empathy," Juanita said.

Credit: Juanita Rasmus
Juanita Rasmus just released her book titled "Learning to Be: Finding Your Center after the Bottom Falls Out".

Her book is more than just a testimony about mental health and fighting the stigma of depression, it includes mental health work tools that help people evaluate their own state of mind when it comes to the signs of depression. 

The book is already available at places like Amazon. Although Juanita believes the pandemic has increased the chances of a diagnosis for some people, she is determined to not let COVID-19 stop her outreach.

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