My last 3 posts (see here, here and here) were about laying out a basic understanding of mental illness. I’ll be taking on some of the more common mental disorders, beginning with one of the commonest and under-recognised: depression.
Don’t say that later will be better
Now you’re stuck in a moment
And you can’t get out of it
—U2
Today, I want to offer an idea of what depression feels like, so you can more easily recognise it in yourself or in someone you love.
Akunna lay on her bed, thinking about death. Or rather, not fighting the thoughts of death her mind spontaneously bent to. She’d been like this almost three weeks now, eating little, sleeping even less—her boss had given her a compulsory leave off work, thinking maybe the stress was getting to her. It wasn’t that, of course, but it was good for an excuse to be off.
She glanced at the window. It was grey outside, the sky heavy with rain that wouldn’t fall. Like her heart. She normally hated grey days, but she couldn’t help but be grateful for this sky that gave her an image for something she could hardly describe.
That was the worst part. Kingsley was worried to death, but every time he asked her what was wrong, “I don’t know,” was all she would mutter. When she was able to even get the words out, that is. Mostly she didn’t even feel like talking. Poor guy. She knew he was trying his best to be there for her…but she was hardly there to be “there for.” He should just go. She didn’t deserve him, anyway. She didn’t deserve anything.
Except maybe to die. If she even deserved that.
Know anyone like that? (It’s not a real story, by the way, I made it up; I’d never use the real story of my clients or anyone I know, or of anyone else that isn’t already public knowledge.)
Depression is not just sadness. It’s something more. Oh yeah, we all talk about, “I’m depressed.” That’s okay, it’s normal language, and it’s not really wrong, but it’s not what we mental health specialists mean when we say someone “has depression.” (A more technical term would be “clinical depression” or “depressive disorder.”)
It’s hard to describe to someone who doesn’t have it, and various people over the years have described it differently:
John Staurt Mills (an English philosopher) termed it “a dull state of nerves.”
Samuel Johnson (and later, Winston Churchill) named it “the black dog.”
Ben Carson’s mum (Sonya Carson), in the movie adaptation of Gifted Hands, called it “a darkness I can’t control.”
We all feel sad, of course. That’s an inescapable part of being human. No one is a walking ball of unending joy (you’d probably be pretty suspicious of such a person if you did meet them, wouldn’t you?).
But imagine that sadness lasting, say, a week.
A month.
Six months.
Maybe a whole year.
Getting the picture?
And yet, depression is even more than just a sadness that doesn’t go away. It’s a whole change in how life looks. (Tweet that!) I’ve heard it described as being like a dull grey day, like living a life that’s like rice without salt. Like a heavy cloud hanging over a person’s life, or like being in a deep pit and you can’t get out.
Here are two other descriptions, from literature. The first is from a great English poet, the other from a Canadian author.
A grief without a pang, void, dark and drear,
A drowsy, stifled, unimpassioned grief,
Which finds no natural outlet or relief
In word, or sigh, or tear.
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Dejection
I don’t want to see anyone. I lie in the bedroom with the curtains drawn and nothingness washing over me like a sluggish wave. Whatever is happening to me is my own fault. I have done something wrong, something so huge I can’t even see it, something that’s drowning me. I am inadequate and stupid, without worth. I might as well be dead.
―Margaret Atwood, Cat’s Eye
Are you beginning to have a feel for what it feels like to be clinically depressed? I really hope so.
In my next posts, we’ll dig more into the details of how to actually recognise depression. (Later on, I’ll talk about whether depression actually occurs in Nigeria—yes, some people still doubt that!—and what treatments are available. If there’s any aspect you’d like me to tackle, or another subject entirely, hit me up in my email or let me know in the comments!)
For now, I’d like to know if this has helped you in any way. And if you’d like to share your own stories, feel free. And if you liked this post, please share using the buttons below! Together we can change the conversation!
Interesting post..How hard is it to diagnose a case of depression?? Are there clear cut signs of the illness besides just feeling alone in bed?
Great question, hiswordmylife. It’s definitely possible to diagnose it, and yes, there are ways to do that. I’ll be taking that on next. Thanks for stopping by.
*sighs deeply* This is so relative, you know. Yeah, it has really been helpful and I think talking about it is one step away from dealing with it. I believe there is such a thing as depression (clinical depression). It’s easy to ignore, given our cultural setting. I have an Aunt who believes it doesn’t exist, She also says anxiety and panic attacks are as a result of not trusting God enough. She swears by it. I disagree with her though.
That’s our reality around here, Mo. It’s sad, and although I don’t know about your aunt specifically, I’ve found that many people, even the otherwise educated, really don’t know any better. That’s why talking about it is so very important.
Hey Doc!u are doing a great job here.I would like to say that this is very rampant in a family I knw,but will also like to knw if one of the symptoms of clinical depression is mood-swing,if there is anyword like that medically.
Hi Mabel! Thanks a ton for the kind words! About your question, yes, mood swings are totally possible, like in bipolar disorder, for instance (although, just like depression is more than sadness, bipolar is more than just mood swings). I’ll be talking about types of depression in the next couple posts or so, so keep your eyes peeled for that.
About the family you mentioned, what do you mean when you say “this is very rampant”? Are you referring to the number of people who have similar symptoms, or to the how serious the symptoms are? And I hope they’re getting adequate professional help?
[…] This is the second in a series of articles on depressive disorder. (Did you catch the first one? Find it here: What it’s like to have depressive disorder.) […]