A Full House Star Opened Up About How Depression Affects Her

During it's 8-year run, Full House (and then later, Fuller House) took on a lot of issues in an after-school-special kind of style — like that time that DJ had an eating disorder that was easily solved by a heartwarming talk with her Aunt Becky.

But as far as we can remember, depression was never one of them. So it's refreshing to see one of the stars behind Full House — Andrea Barber, the actress behind annoying girl-next-door Kimmy Gibbler — speaking out about her own depression, and how complicated issues like these can actually be.

Barber wrote an essay for InStyle recently, in which she talked about how running helps her manage her depression.

"I am no stranger to the depths of depression," she wrote. "I know what it's like to feel like you are in a deep hole and can't crawl out. I know what it's like to feel like you will never feel joy again. I know what it's like to feel utterly alone, even when you are surrounded by people."

At the deepest moments of her depression, Barber wrote, running was the one thing that made her feel alive. It was like a form of meditation for her.

As Barber says in her essay, there is no one treatment for depression. And while exercise has been shown to help many people, it might not help everyone or may only be helpful in combination with other treatment strategies like antidepressants and therapy.

And, as always, running and other forms of exercise should be something you do for you — not to lose weight or because you feel like you should.

"Running has been the single greatest thing I have done for my mental health," Barber wrote. "Running ... makes me feel MORE. More alive. More confident. Stronger. Happier. Endorphins really are a powerful, natural drug."

Read her full essay on InStyle.