This is nice, and I hope things continue well for OP, but there's nothing to say that mental illness won't strike later in life, and just waking up a different person isn't working hard to change yourself. When I see stories like this becoming so popular, it makes me worry that they are reinforcing the 'bootstrap' ideal. Life is rarely so simple as the above story.

When people say things like, "I was horribly depressed and one day I woke up and realized that being sad was a choice," what really happened is that their brain chemistry changed and they came out of the depression - and then they woke up, felt different, and chalked the new feeling up to a simple change of opinion. "Suddenly I realized that I was what had been holding me back this whole time!" Yeah, your brain chemistry was holding you back, and it's better now.

The problem with this story is that most people who don't currently feel depressed can't imagine how bad it can be. Then they feel disgust or disapproval for those who aren't 'strong' or 'capable' enough to pull themselves out of it. A person who is truly depressed or mentally-ill cannot pull themselves out of it. They need help. A person who's paralyzed from the waist down can't run. They need a wheelchair. If they start walking or running, it's because something healed in their body. It's the same with mental illness. If someone wakes up with a new 'perspective' and a new ability to cope, it's because something in their brain healed.

Let's not pat OP on the back too much for this. Let's be happy that her life got better, but let's not devalue everyone else's struggle by pretending that the same change is out there waiting if they'd just try hard enough.