What Does Depression Feel Like?
Chances are you’ve found yourself tucked into bed before and just didn’t want to get up. You’ve probably felt really sad and thought that all hope was lost. Maybe you found it difficult to stop crying when something upsetting happened were really worried about it.
We’ve all been there! Emotions are a part of being human, and sadness is a big aspect of it.
But depression is not just sadness — it’s so much more than that:
Symptoms of Depression
Tearfulness
Numbness
Feeling frustrated, angry, or on a short fuse
Feeling shut down and withdrawn
Hopelessness
Lack of connection with things you used to enjoy
Difficulty concentrating and completing tasks like bathing, sleeping, and eating
Depression Feels Like an Anchor
You know when your alarm rings in the morning and your body feels the weight of the universe and your blankets and just begs for 5 more minutes of sleep? But you kind of wake up anyway and get on with your morning?
Imagine the weight of the universe in your chest all day.
Everything hurts. Everything sucks. If you can just finish this one task and survive this moment, then you’ll be okay. The sadness is so intense it feels like you can burst into tears at any moment, and sometimes you do. And sometimes you have no idea why.
Depression Feels Like a Constant Battle
Some days depression might feel like you’re trying to walk through gelatin, and some days it might feel like you’re just an empty version of the person you used to be. Sometimes depression looks like realizing — in the middle of a lively conversation during a night out with friends — that this doesn’t feel as fun as it used to and you’d rather be home. And then the guilty feelings start: Bad friend. How dare you want to leave. This is why nobody likes you. So you’re standing at a party, fighting back tears, and now you really want to go home, and you never should’ve left your room.
Depression Feels Like a Black Hole
If you could just escape these thoughts then it would all be okay. They play in a loop. They don’t let you sleep at night, they don’t let you concentrate on anything other than how exhausting it feels to be trapped in this fog, this black hole. You’re never even hungry anymore because all you feel is the knot in your chest. Nothing will ever feel as good as life used to feel and you can never get back to the person you used to be. Sometimes you even wonder what the point of being alive is anymore.
IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW IS STRUGGLING WITH SUICIDAL THOUGHTS OR ACTIONS - YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
Please know that you deserve more than this pain. You deserve freedom
To speak with a counselor at the National Suicide Prevention Hotline, Call 988. If you need immediate assistance, call 911. Please click here if you’d like to learn more about how to make a therapy appointment, and allow for 24-48 hours for your request to come through.
It Can Happen To Anyone
Reading about these experiences can feel like a lot, and it may even be triggering for some. Does it remind you of yourself or someone you know?
The examples labeled above are not what everyone’s experiences with depression look like, but they’re very common. There’s truly no “right way” to experience these symptoms. In fact, a lot of people might feel depressed and work overtime hiding their struggles from loved ones.
These symptoms also don’t discriminate. Although different situations and socioecological factors, including chronic stress and illness, may contribute to conditions worsening, depression can happen at any age, during any time in a person’s life, and regardless of preexisting health conditions.
This means that you can be the youngest, smartest, wealthiest, healthiest person and still experience depressive symptoms.
If you or someone you know feels this way — don’t wait. Help is on the horizon, and you’re not alone in your struggles. You deserve so much more than the struggles you’re facing, and you absolutely don’t have to feel this way forever. Click here to find out how mental health therapy can help!