The lack of judgment he felt he was under pressure from was absent, forcing him to think for himself without the opinions of others clouding and shaping his perception. “It is often difficult to determine whether a teenager is truly depressed…Teenagers in general tend to have mood swings that can easily be confused with depression” (C. Rutledge 2). Runyon believed that he was not appreciated and, as a result, he was less accepting of himself. Many of his behaviors were due to adolescent behaviors that may have led him to believe he was not worthy of living. During his recovery, he spent valuable time with his family, leading to important moments that showed him how happy he could be. “I laugh so much. I can barely stand it. I don’t remember the last time I laughed so hard” (B. Runyon 300). Runyon expresses moments of genuine joy, something that rarely happened before. During his years of depression, he was very dissatisfied with himself, but while he was recovering, he had the time and space to learn about and appreciate himself. “'That means you're going back to school...No one will be able to control what they say. Do you think you are ready? You will be alone. What am I going to say? What am I going to say. They all look at me. 'Yes'” (B. Runyon 305). While he was separated from society, the threat of