What Depression Is Like

By Aabye-Gayle D. Francis-FavillaMarch 20, 2017

I know what depression is like. It visits me now and again — always showing up unannounced like a presumptuous friend.

Depression is like turning a corner and finding an abyss. It’s like realizing the path you were following has completely vanished.

Depression is like finding out the elevator is broken and that your meeting has been moved up to the thirty-ninth floor. It makes even the simplest tasks impossible. Taking just one step forward becomes a chore.

Depression is like trying to hold happiness in a sieve. No matter how much joy you’re given, it doesn’t persist.

Depression is a deep darkness that even the sun cannot seem to overcome. It is invisible, but not imaginary — fluid, yet cumbersome.

Depression is like a summer day everyone else can enjoy, but you’re still cold. It’s like knowing a fire is burning but never feeling warm.

Depression is like being adrift and unsure of where you’re going. It’s like finally seeing land but realizing it’s hostile territory.

Depression is an invisible chain with a key that’s just beyond your reach. It’s a weight. It’s a prison. And no attempts to escape it succeed.

Depression is like trying to scream but never making a sound. It’s like a maze that only contains dead ends. It’s feeling too lost to be found.

Depression is a season whose length and strength are unknown. But then, just as spring dethrones winter, one day you wake up to find blossoms have grown.

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Comments (8)

  1. Monica

    #theaccuracy
    Thanks for sharing!

    Reply  |  
  2. Alice

    This was so beautiful and it gave me hope for the future. Thank you.

    Reply  |  
  3. B

    You have a beautiful way with words!

    Reply  |  
  4. Emma

    Wow this is so relatable! Thank you so much for sharing this!

    Reply  |  
  5. Nancy

    Depression is a prison and it holds the key even when your doors are wide open. Thank you for this.

    Reply  |  
  6. sabrina

    im here on this page for the first time, linked by a friend and this is just what i need right now. depression is not being able to do anything else but reading poems about depression. thank you so much, for being brave and smart, this is heart saving.

    Reply  |  
    1. Alyx

      Well it’s cool your here:)
      I, and many others have found hope here. I hope you do too!!

      Reply  |  
  7. Jessica

    This is so true

    Reply  |  
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