. >> reporter: for as long as edie guyton can remember, she could not get the sad thoughts out of herto me, smile, edie. why don't you smile? and i would, you know, give something like that, maybe. or just think, what is there to smile about? >> reporter: at 19, her blank face reflected what would later be diagnosed as severe depression. >> that expression is the best i could -- i could do. >> reporter: what's it like to look at it now? >> i feel sorry for her. you know, i just -- i feel bad for her. that she couldn't smile. that she couldn't talk to people about, you know, what -- what is going on with her that would lead her to cut her wrists several months later. >> reporter: it was her sophomore year. academic and social pressures were the trigger. and one night -- >> for reasons that are inexplicable to me even now, got up and started playing with a razor. and -- >> reporter: you cut your wrists. >> mm-hmm. >> reporter: you cut both your wrists? >> yeah, mm-hmm. >> reporter: she went into counseling. but it didn't help. over the next 40 years she tried everything else, including

mayberg continues her research to unlock the secrets of area 25, it's been five good years for edi guyton. >> aww. >> if you hadn't had the operation where would you be right now? >> i really believe that i would have committed suicide. >> edi's transformation is so dramatic. for now as you might guess the procedure is still experimental, two medical device companies that are conducting larger studies, have the hope of winning fda approval, but that is several years away. >>> much more of this reporting on battery powered brains, sunday night, cnn presents 8:00 and 11 clock eastern. >>> stephanie joins me to funny piece for our website that is called an optimist journey toward dropping the d-bomb. can you be an optimist and depressed at the same time the answer is yes, you won't look at your friend, co-workers, family the same way after this. we'll talk about it, that's next. i love that my daughter's part fish. but when she got asthma, all i could do was worry ! specialists, lots of doctors, lots of advice... and my hands were full. i couldn't sort through it all. with unitedhealthcare,

in the meantime, edie guyton is thankful for her new life.delivering about 1/1000 of the power that a flashlight bulb uses. do you feel any electricity or anything? >> i don't feel anything in my head at all. did you go off medication when you were pregnant? >> reporter: she's active with a mental health advocacy and support group. and she recently traveled to italy with old friends from college. >> and that smile is real. i was okay. >> reporter: it's only been an issue once. >> at the airport, i just go -- and i say -- and they say, pacemaker, and i say yes. one time, i said actually it's brain electrodes. i'll never do that again. the woman who was patting me down, she was afraid i would explode. >> boy, you got to love airport security. a couple of final points. dr. mayberg and another doctor hold the patent on the procedure. this is still experimental. and fda approval to make it widely available is at least several years away. >>> that's it for tonight's show. i'm drew griffin. >> and i'm randi kaye. >> and i'm randi kaye. thanks for jo