hey, marty! in the music environment, there is a lot of ups and downs and i refer to emotional state. i have heard musicians speak about frequent cases of many fellow profession colleagues who would stay home for a long time and go out only sporadically maybe for a burrito. of course i am talking about depression, the disease of the last century - if not of this one as well. my wondering is about your experience, if you've dealt with it and if so, how did you manage it? it might be an interesting answer because you seem to have stayed out of drugs nearly forever, and the "toxic way out" is the common escape that has proven disastrous, yet engulfed so many in its promises of pain relief. Thanks and greetings from portugal, JC

I understand depression and anxiety, with experience in the latter. Sometimes you have to force yourself to do things that heal your problems, and hopefully without drugs, but sometimes prescribed drugs can really help. Breathing well, exercising and eating well really help. Too much junk food can lead to depression. A healthy sex life is also ideal. Having no sex partner can lead to all sorts of problems, so it is important to try your best to be appealing and available to the opposite sex.