Tribune staff reporter Monica Eng has written a thoughtful and sensitive article on the tragic loss of her friend and colleague Iris Chang (“Flameout; Best-selling author Iris Chang had it all. Then something went terribly wrong,” Magazine, Feb. 6). I believe that Iris, like many young and gifted people, did not know the limits of her own psyche. Of all our organs, the human brain is the most awesome yet most fragile. In the life of Iris Chang, we’ve witnessed both qualities.
As a depression survivor, the only exception I take with Eng’s article is the concluding paragraphs, which imply that nothing could have helped Iris in her final depression. All of the Iris Changs of the world must know that in depression, there is never a point of no return. With proper medical attention, all depression can be lifted.
