Nancy Schimelpfening, About.com's Guide to Depression, points out in her blog that May 5th is Childhood Depression Awareness Day.

As someone who suffered from depression in childhood, I cannot emphasize enough how crucial it is for parents to recognize depression in their children and to make sure the children get the appropriate care. Depression in your child does not mean you are a bad parent. It means your child needs treatment and support from a professional.

There is a high rate of depression in patients with celiac disease. Was my childhood depression linked to my undiagnosed celiac disease? I don't know, but it doesn't matter now. What does matter is that depressed individuals, whether children or adults, be treated for the condition and not be left to struggle alone.