The initial breakthrough is an extraordinary thing, but Williams admits that aftercare resources may be harder to come by in some communities. She suggests seeking therapists with a sliding scale and seeking out one of the growing number of counseling offices attached to local churches -- and she's deputizing clergy members to take action.

Williams convinced one minister to slip the phrase, "When I was at my therapist's office ..." into his Sunday sermon. That, she says, normalizes the language and the notion. If your preacher is saying that he cannot handle the weight of the world by himself, laypeople may be more open to the notion that they don't have to either.

"When you share your story with someone else," Williams says, "you find that you're not standing on that ledge by yourself."

CNN commenter mobustobus expressed a similar sentiment: "Emotional honesty is almost like a taboo in our society, but it's essential for healing depression. Opening up to another human being and telling them your deepest, darkest secrets is one of the scariest things you can do, but also one of the most empowering. The first time I did it, I felt alive in a way I had never before felt in my life. There's definitely an energy you get from baring it all and realizing you're still accepted."

Resources:

Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Help yourself. Help others. American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Depression Resource Center National Alliance on Mental Illness Multicultural Action Center Military Suicide Hot line: 800-273-8255 Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)