Why Is Depression So Brutal?
Depression has many different manifestations, all of them debilitating.
Relief Is Possible
That’s the thing about depression: A human being can survive almost anything, as long as she sees the end in sight. But depression is so insidious, and it compounds daily, that it’s impossible to ever see the end.
—Elizabeth Wurtzel
Keeping Up Gets Hard
One of the most difficult parts about depression is the sheer effort it takes simply to keep up the façade of everyday life. Keeping going, when, inside you are experiencing an emotional thunderstorm or extreme gloom. Sometimes getting out of bed is a struggle, other times it’s just too much to feel like you are holding back tears or sobbing for no reason.
Or, maybe you just walk around so tired or vulnerable that it seems like you are going through life as if you were an egg without its shell. You have no external protection to everyday annoyances; it seems impossible hold it together, and everything turning you into a puddle.
And then, of course, you have to beat yourself up for any and all of the above. You might be tempted at this point to just give up and invest in coordinating boxing gloves for each outfit (cute!). Stay with us though, and be honest – more online shopping is probably the last thing you need!
Physical Symptoms Are Real
In addition to feelings of intense hopelessness, people suffering from depression must battle physical symptoms as well. You are expected to keep going while suffering from
- Fatigue
- Stiff or sore muscles
- Upset or tense stomach
- Restless agitation
- Physical pain
- Crippling insomnia
Having depression can make getting through the day’s tasks as hard as when you have a debilitating case of the flu.
Yet, no one expects you to take a sick day. And worst of all, this toll of expectations only exacerbates your irritability. It gets old being asked, “What’s wrong with you?”
The Many Ways To Be Low
Sometimes depression is intense, other times it is a low, lingering dulling of life. No matter the form, the past, the future, yourself, and the world all seem tinged with a foggy haze of failure. Negative thoughts circulate without relent. You become your own worst judge and jury that keeps coming to the same verdict: guilty for everything and no end in sight.
How To Get Better—Even If You
Think You Can’t
There is not a magic solution for depression. (Did you want us to lie? At SENS, we just can’t.) But you can start feeling better soon. Of course, you won’t believe this if you are depressed. And the beauty is, you don’t have to.
It Will Pass
Even if you don’t seek treatment for depression. This wave of malaise, this funk as bad as that expensive cheese lurking in your back fridge drawer, it will blow over. Like the most relentless rain, it will pass. In fact, your body’s desire for homeostasis can and will pull it toward higher ground. But what if you are impatient, or just plain stuck?
We Are Here
Let us be your hope for a while; let us carry some of the burden. And here is something that is true: finding the right kind of help can immediately lesson the intensity of the pain, and lift the darkness enough to start laying the groundwork for long-term success. Believe it (or just trust us).
