Back at the keyboard

By Dana Yost
ested. And still firmly caring about this region I have long called home.

That's how I return this week, as editor of the Independent — hopefully healthier and stronger, and ready to continue to help produce what I think is the state’s best small daily paper.

As some of you know, I have had ongoing issues with depression and anxiety attacks.

They flared hard this spring, and I found myself struggling to reach the standards of quality and commitment I expect of myself and this paper.

All that, coupled with exhaustion after a series of major news stories — some of which hit close personally — led my care providers and my body to say stop for a while.

I took more than a month of medical leave — time in the hospital, time for extended therapy, time to look into other options and make some tough decisions — and that has helped.

You never really are fully clear from depression, I suppose, but I am to the point where I want to be back here, and continue to try to make a difference.

In my absence several others on our very good staff stepped up, or stepped into new roles — especially news editor Per Peterson and news editor for content Rae Kruger.

The paper doesn't stop production just because someone takes a medicalleave. I appreciate all they have done.

I also want to express strong thanks to our publisher, Russ Labat, for his support and friendship before and during my leave. I wrote on my blog this spring that a good newspaper needs a good publisher, and we have a very good one in Russ — and he's proven that time after time in recent weeks.

That has meant a great deal to me.

And I thank readers, friends and family for their support of the past few weeks, with cards, e-mails and kind words.

A few words, too, about mental illness:

• As a society, we must continue to work hard to get our hands around the issue. That means leaning on lawmakers and health care and insurance industries to keep working toward more facilities, services and access — mental health should be on equal footing with physical health care.

• And, to those of you who have a mental illness. Please remember, you're not alone. There are 17 million of us, at least, with depression in some form. Hard as it is, you don't have to hide it or fear the stigma, especially when stepping forward can mean getting meaningful care. Even when you think some don't understand, be assured others do.

Same with families or friends of those who battle an illness: Be there for them, and support their efforts to seek help. Simply being at their side often means more than you can know.

With that, let's get moving. There’s another day’s paper to put out.