Struck by Living, originally published in 2010, is a story about me, Julie Kosnik Hersh, my experience with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), and management of depression. This new version includes a prologue detailing the strange series of events this book spurred, as well as a wellness list in the back.
On the original book tour, I decided it was too depressing to just talk about my depression, so I talked about how I stayed well too. People scribbled down these ideas like gospel, which they aren't. They are common-sense ideas I've learned from years of psychotherapy, my own reading, and talking to people about this topic. I've included these ideas in this new edition so people don't have to scribble. I love to read, so I wrote this book like a novel, instead of like a self-help book. I'm not a fan of self-help books as most of them claim to be "the answer." The older I get, the more I realize how little I know. I do know there is no single answer for managing mental illness. This is a life-long task, where we all have to figure out our own quirks and how to manage them. If my story can help you figure this out--great.
Each time I speak about my experience, I find people are often one step removed from the devastation of mental illness or even suicide. Stories about mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, spouses, and children all make me wonder: Could we have stopped those deaths? If we are more aware, can we see the signs earlier and save a life?
​I think we can. In that belief, I offer my story. Proceeds from this book will be donated to programs and research to battle mental illness.
About the Author:

Awarded the Mental Health America Ruth Altschuler Community Advocate Prism Award and selected as one of the 2010 Distinguished Women by Northwood University, Julie Hersh is an outspoken advocate for mental health. "Despite medical advances," Julie says, "too many people die by suicide because they are afraid to seek help." Julie's goal is to provide a living example that mental illness is a manageable disease. Her Struck by Living blog is featured on the Psychology Today website. Julie is also a guest blogger on the Menninger Clinic "Say No to Stigma" website.

After earning her BBA at the University of Notre Dame, Hersh worked in high-tech product development and marketing/sales in Silicon Valley. She "retired" from a lucrative sales management position after the birth of her first child. A long-time member of the Cooper Center, Hersh ran her first marathon at age 48. Julie is Board President of the Dallas Children's Theater and active supporter of the Suicide and Crisis Center, CONTACT and other non-profit organizations. She lives with her husband and two children in Dallas, Texas.