Depression is:

Depression is the shadow that follows behind you, the darkness that you yourself project onto the concrete beneath your feet. Depression is being cursed, but telling no one because who believes in curses? Depression is never-ending winter.

What is depression like?

Anxiety is drowning, being taken in the landslide. Depression, though, is waking up one morning realizing you have already died. Depression is traveling to the future to learn that you will die without any purpose and then returning to the present, only to wait. Depression is a Dementor sucking your soul from your lungs, but your heart left beating. Depression is Nietzsche learning God is dead. Depression is the suffocation that floods your bed late into the morning hours, asking you what the point of waking up is, if tomorrow fails to hold any significance. Depression is a life predestined to fail. Depression is witnessing your own unattended funeral. Depression comes to you like a whispering devil when your friends succeed, rewarding others with fortune but gifting you with a ribboned box of envy. Depression is the one that got away; the one you were going to marry one day but left you heartbroken in a parking structure.

Depression is returned deafening silence after pleading to God to take your depression away. Depression is starting varsity at the homecoming game, catching a throw at the 5 and then tearing your ACL before making it into the endzone. Depression is pizza and beer at 2am. Depression is 20 pounds in 2 weeks. Depression is waking up 6 feet under in a casket of your least favorite color. Depression is 2pm wake up time. Depression is 20/20 hindsight of mistakes made, harsh words you can’t take back and all the things you should have done if you knew you could have.

Depression is the dry well of your soul when the drought has come. It reaches deep, but sits dry today. Depression is the deep, deep water that has sunken you to its forgotten depths. It’s the body that forms your empathy, sympathy and the same ocean that feeds to streams of joy. Depression is cancer and chemotherapy. Depression is the beating you will remember until the day you actually die. Depression is having died once and no longer fearing what death the future may bring. Depression is fire set to the fields, so they can bring the next harvest.