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The Black Dog of Dark Mood and Depression

Jo Ann lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia, but grew up in England. She remembers that when her brother was mopey during family trips to visit their grandparents in Devon, their grandfather would tell him “Get that black dog off your back!” For hundreds of years, the term black dog has been used to mean “a dark mood” or “depression” or “a funk.” The black dog has long been associated with Winston Churchill, although he rarely used the expression himself. This is part of a complete episode.

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