In light of the recent death of Robin Williams, and because of so many people being confused about depression (not understanding how he could be so sad when he had so much), I just wanted to talk about my own personal experiences with the problem of depression.

It's a disease. A sickness. It's something that is very hard to deal with and that does not make logical sense. It can be prevented to an extent, however; not always. Sometimes depression can be triggered from the smallest thing (maybe someone said something to you that hurt your feelings, or maybe one tiny thing in the day went wrong), and sometimes, it just happens for no reason. It does not ALWAYS make logical sense.

Depression causes a loss of hope. When depression hits, you feel very alone. Being surrounded by people does not matter. When I'm depressed, I feel like I'm in my own bubble. People's words of encouragement and hope (while always very appreciated and respected) do not reach me in this bubble that happens. I feel cut off from everything, lose the desire to work, talk to others, or live at times. Sometimes, I don't feel like getting out of bed and will refuse to eat. The energy to be spent on such things seems pointless at the time.

The hardest thing with depression is how it makes an individual feel. Hopelessness is a big part of it. I will also feel at times like everyone hates me, and it causes me to reflect upon the biggest mistakes I've ever made, or my greatest weaknesses in myself. And when you have no hope, it's very hard to motivate yourself to do something.
I'm fortunate to have friends that either understand me or are at least willing to talk to me. I've always been very fortunate with that in my life. Depression is a hard burden to bear, and it's definitely not easy to understand if you haven't experienced it.

Sometimes professional help is needed, sometimes it's not. But, if you know someone who does suffer from depression, I've found a good way to help is not to try and sympathize with them, but to let them know you love them, and that you're there. When my friend is depressed, I do take things slow, I am careful with my words, and I try to make him laugh. I know my friend well, and I take it easy whenever he's sad, but, if I can be there for him just to let him know I care, then it makes it easier to ride out that wave of sadness, even though it still hurts.

Two more things I want to say. Depression can't just suddenly be ended by good company and laughter. It has to be ridden out. Sometimes alone (since it can cause you to want to cease contact with others), and sometimes with help. Usually, I'll let the horrible feeling wash over me, lay down and take a nap, and I'll wake up and feel better.

The last thing I want to say is that Hyperbole and a Half has two excellent blogs on depression. Strong language is used in it, so I recommend against it for any sensitive readers, however; it is a very accurate depiction of depression, and the writer talks about her own experiences with it.

I just felt that these things needed to be said, and I hope that I helped someone understand a little more about this sickness. I do a lot of the work that I do in order to bring a smile to people's faces because I love it when people laugh.