More likely than not, someone you love—your significant other, BFF, or family member—is dealing with depression or anxiety. Nearly 50 percent of American adults will develop at least one mental illness during their lifetime, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And because of the widespread stigma surrounding mental illness, many people hesitate to ask for help. So if a loved one reveals that they are suffering—or if you think they are—your compassion can help them through the recovery process.
When I was a kid, a pet changed my life. It was not our family’s lovable mutt Frisky or even Murphy, my pet duck. No, it was a four foot yellow rat snake named Fred I got for three bucks when I was 13. He lived in a cage in my bedroom. I was transfixed by his enigmatic stare, alien beauty, and ability to swallow a mouse. I was hooked. Within a year, I had a menagerie of scaly creepy-crawlies. And while other kids were rocking out to the Beatles and Stones, I was learning the Latin names of snakes and devouring books on reptile behavior and ecology. In retrospect, Fred turned out to be metaphorical gateway drug that led me to pursue a Ph.D. in animal behavior and to eventually publish papers on topics like the love songs of alligators and the personalities of baby garter snakes.