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Dolce Far Niente by John William Godward

"It was non actually alarming at first, since the change was subtle, just I did notice that my environment took on a different tone at certain times: the shadows of nightfall seemed more somber, my mornings were less buoyant, walks in the forest became less zestful, and there was a moment during my working hours in the late afternoon when a kind of panic and anxiety overtook me…" – William Styron, Darkness Visible

What does depression feel like? Probably not what yous think. Almost people think of clinical low as merely being deplorable, but there are actually many more than depression symptoms (including physical symptoms), and you probably haven't heard of a lot of them before.

Depression is much more than just feeling sorry, and it'due south different for anybody. Considering of this, recognizing low can be difficult, and depression often goes undiagnosed.

Here are some ways that depression might make you feel.

    • Things just seem "off" or "wrong."
    • You don't experience hopeful or happy near anything in your life.
    • Yous're crying a lot for no apparent reason, either at nothing, or something that normally would be insignificant.
    • You feel like you lot're moving (and thinking) in tiresome motion.
    • Getting upward in the morning requires a lot of endeavour.
    • Carrying on a normal conversation is a struggle. Yous tin't seem to express yourself.
    • You lot're having trouble making simple decisions.
    • Your friends and family really irritate you.
    • You're not sure if you still love your spouse/significant other.
    • Smiling feels strong and awkward. It'south like your grinning muscles are frozen.
    • Information technology seems like there'south a glass wall between you lot and the residuum of the world.
    • You're forgetful, and information technology'southward very difficult to concentrate on anything.
    • You're anxious and worried a lot.
    • Everything seems hopeless.
    • You experience like yous tin can't practise anything right.
    • You have recurring thoughts of expiry and/or suicidal impulses. Suicide seems like a welcome relief.
    • You take a feeling of impending doom – you think something bad is going to happen, although you lot may not be sure what, and/or…
    • …You have a very specific fright that torments you constantly.
    • In your perception of the world around yous, information technology's always cloudy. Even on sunny days, it seems cloudy and greyness.
    • You lot feel as though you lot're drowning or suffocating.
    • You're agitated, jumpy and broken-hearted much of the time.
    • Your senses seem dulled; food tastes bland and uninteresting, music doesn't seem to bear on you, you don't bother smelling flowers anymore.
    • Incessantly and uncontrollably into your heed comes the retention of every failure, every bad or uncomfortable experience, interview or appointment, like a torrent of negativity.
     

    You may also be interested in:

    How Does Depression Affect Your Life?
    What is Low (and What is information technology Non)?
    Reflections on Depression
    Yous Tin't Fight Depression on Your Own
    My Experience with Low

    Describing Low to those Who've Never Had It

    Please feel free to post your comment about what depression feels like. Please do not post:

    • Questions about depression and how to handle it. Go here for that.
    • Comments on how you lot call up information technology should be managed, including finding God.
    • Requests for other people to electronic mail yous.

    Also, please do non include "triggers" in your comment. In other words, practise not include specifics of self-impairment or suicidal plans, as this might trigger someone reading your comment.

    Delight note that comments are moderated – if you mail a comment, it will not prove up until it is approved, and this tin take a few days. Likewise, delight notation that I reserve the right to edit comments, in terms of removing anything that I feel is inappropriate. Don't carp to requite me grief about freedom of voice communication – this is a privately funded and managed website.

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