What is Depression

Maybe now would be a good time to decide what exactly depression is. Many people who do not suffer from depression think that depression is just an excuse to be lazy. My father told me that I was lazy and that I was stupid almost every day of my life growing up into young adulthood.

Good News!!! It isn’t Don’t let anyone get inside your head with that kind of nonsense that.

A woman, who herself, suffered from depression wrote a list of feelings to describe what depression is to her. These sentiments written by her might sound familiar. I was surprised that I have experienced many of them myself. You probably  have experienced some of these same feelings yourself.

Keep in mind, as you read the following that these are not permanent feelings that are cast in stone. Every one of them is conquerable and we will discuss how to do just that as we continue this journey through depression and into happiness.

Depression: It’s waking up each day and feeling a wave of dread, wishing you weren’t here. So you just lie there while your mind tells you how useless you are and how pointless everything is.

It’s feeling guilty because you don’t have the strength to do even the simplest of tasks such as showering.

It’s looking at your messy, dirty house, thinking about how much you need to clean and tidy — but you freeze, because how can you look after a house when you can’t even muster the strength to get off the couch.

It’s looking in the mirror and hating what you see.

It’s feeling like a failure because you had to quit your job and everyone asks why or when you’re going to look for another job.

It’s feeling like a nuisance every time you reach out for help.

It’s a battle with your mind about the little things every day — things “normal,” functioning people have no issues with.

It’s like being stuck in this deep, dark hole and no matter how loud you scream, no one is listening.

It’s avoiding every social event or communication with people because you feel like everyone is better off without you, or that your input is unimportant.

It’s knowing all your fears and feelings are completely silly and irrational but you still feel them so strongly and wish you could just turn it off.

It’s also a teacher: the cruelest, and soul-sucking teacher you could ever have. You’re being forced to learn about yourself and what it is that brought you here.

It is being exhausted every single day but trying to muster the courage to stay here, despite what your mind is telling you.

It’s trying to explain to people how much harder life is, even though they don’t understand and you “know” you’re being judged.

It’s feeling lost and stuck and alone.