Those who haven’t experienced depression’s devastating toll sometimes don’t understand its real impacts on those who struggle with it. “Have you tried just not being depressed?” they ask, in all seriousness.
Here, people share their real experiences, detailing exactly how depression feels both emotionally and physically. You may be shocked to see how debilitating it can be.
How Depression Feels
Depression symptoms may be different for everyone. How it feels for one might be completely off base for another.
These short truths on what people with depression go through are from real people diagnosed with the disorder, but if they don’t speak to you, that doesn’t mean you aren’t depressed. Speak with a therapist.
Shifting the Feelings Down
Depression is sometimes a misnomer. People with depression aren’t always sad, but their baseline emotion is often lower than those without the illness.
Good things are just okay, okay things are awful, and awful things are debilitating.
Awful for No Reason
Bad things happen all around us. If you’re feeling sad because a loved one passed or you don’t earn enough money to get by, that’s not depression; that’s a reasonable reaction to circumstances.
People with depression feel that way for no apparent external reason.
Excessive Fatigue
Clinical depression causes chronic fatigue. Many sufferers couldn’t get up and get moving even if they wanted to more than anything in the world. Their bodies shut down and insist on rest, making even getting out of bed a struggle.
Nothing To Fill the Void
People simply feeling depressed rather than struggling with clinical depression can typically see a light at the end of the tunnel. They have reasons to hope and dream.
Those struggling under the oppressive weight of clinical depression see nothing but continued emptiness on the horizon. Depression feels like nothing will ever be better again.
Enjoying Nothing
Imagine engaging in your favorite hobby. Most people find joy in their pastimes and hobbies, but not people with depression. Neither the comfort of a favorite book nor the thrill of a new adventure brings them joy.
It’s All a Chore
Depression feels like a chore. For people suffering from it, life itself is one gigantic chore.
Everything from hygiene to feeding themselves, working to engaging with friends, is a giant, meaningless task on the hamster wheel of existence. It all seems pointless.
Boring
For people with depression, even favorite activities, meetups with friends, and things they once enjoyed now sound boring.
Depression sucks all the joy out of life, making everything seem boring. Depression feels like apathy.
Overwhelming
Depression often leads to anxiety because sufferers know things are essential but can’t bring themselves to do them. Tasks pile up while the person spirals deeper and deeper into a pit of despair that they find it impossible to break free from.
Numb
Some describe depression as numbness. They’re neither happy nor sad, excited nor nervous. Nothing brings joy, nothing brings anger; it’s all just one giant numbness over and over again.
Dissociating
Depression can make your life feel like a movie you’re watching but don’t enjoy. You can’t do anything to change the channel, and though you can vaguely remember what emotions felt like before the movie started, you can’t feel them anymore, and you don’t know how to get back to yourself.
Oppressive
Many sufferers say that they literally feel depression’s oppressive weight covering them wherever they go. One described it as a “wet blanket of sadness” that’s impossible to remove. It’s a physical sensation in addition to a mental struggle.
Homesick
Have you ever felt homesick? Some describe depression as constantly feeling homesick, even when you’re at home. It’s an intense longing for a home that doesn’t exist.
If You’re Struggling with Depression, Seek Help
Depression is a real illness impacting millions of people. But you don’t have to suffer alone. If these feelings of depression sound all too familiar, it’s time to seek help. Make an appointment with a therapist. They can help you battle depression and find joy in life.
Source: Reddit