What does depression feel like?

Having depression and anxiety can feel like nothing can go right and the world is out to get you. But when you step back, you see that it is just emotions making you feel this way, and there are plenty of people waiting to help you if you just ask, many of which are feeling the same thing.

It's like you're underwater trying to swim to the surface, but there's something holding onto you, pulling you down, preventing you from breathing.

It's difficult, to say the least. It's a rush of mad thoughts in your head, and you want so desperately to fix it and/or make it go away, but it's like your body doesn't have the willpower to let you...

In all honesty having both is like a never ending battle. I have dealt with both and generally they conflict, especially with social things and becoming motivated, on one hand you are lonely and want to meet people or hang out with friends..but the anxiety stops you from fully interacting and creating bonds with people. You constantly worry about your future but the depression stops your motivation to go out and succeed. Although the seem opposite they are generally treated in the same manner, for me i have tried many different antidepresents until i found one that worked and i havent felt better after taking it, also by going out everyday even if i go for a walk on my own - which i wont lie took me 6 months to build up the courage to do- tires me out and lifts my spirits :)

In the words of Neil Hillborn "Depression wasn't an endless grey sky, it was no sky at all.".. Depression symptoms are losing interest in things you onced found exciting, excess fatigue, lasting feelings of sadness or emptiness....Anxiety feels like nervous tension in any situation that our body is responding fearfully to. It can feel crippling. These two combined are especially uncomfortable

Depression and anxiety are like one big black hole. After it pulls you in, you can’t get out without help. So you spend countless nights crying yourself until you fall asleep. And when things finally start getting better, depression pulls you back. You crash harder than before… It’s like drowning. Except you can see everyone else around, and you’re breathing. It’s like you are screaming as loud as you can, and no one can hear. No one cares. It’s like your inside is dying and it’s slowly coming out to your outside. You are always alone and lonely, no matter how many people are around you. No matter how many times people say you’re beautiful. It's hard to explain. Only those who have it understand.

It is unbearable.it makes you not to enjoy anything.it's like kissing your life.everything seem useless.and you cry a lot or get angry fast.

It's like your alive but not living nothing brings you out of this sad helpless state when I was depressed all I did was lay on the couch watching TV and not even laugh or have any emotions to what I was watching I didn't wanna go out to do anything some days I would wake up feeling worse and not even want to shower I didn't care about my appearance didn't brush my teeth nothing I just laid there in almost a catatonic state it's the hardest thing I've ever dealt with and part of the reason why I listen on here.

To explain anxiety better, have you ever had that mini-heart attack when you lean too far into a chair and fall over? That millisecond of sheer terror that you feel? That's what it's like to have anxiety, except it's all the time. Entire conversations are scripted in your head. "Don't talk too much about yourself. Ugh, you mentioned your own problems? You're so self-conceited! Apologise immediately for how much of a d-ck you are. It's not alright, don't listen to them. But drop it anyway, you don't deserve any kind of compliment you receive." These are examples of what go through my head whenever I have any sort of interaction with another person, given that I, too, have anxiety. Depression, however, JK Rowling personifies depression perfectly. Dementors, the guards of Azkaban, are described as these black, grim creatures that suck the soul and all happiness out of a person. A Dementor's Kiss is, in the books, literally sucking the soul out of your body to where you're just a shell of a human being. This, from my interpretation, is the worst your depression can ever become.

It's very... hard. It makes life more difficult then it has to be and its just terrible. It really is.

Living with depression and anxiety can be an absolute nightmare. You end up snapping at the very people who are trying to help you. You fail to see past the "gloom" that engulfs you. Being "down" becomes the only thing your brain can concentrate on. Down moments may only last a few minutes but it can feel like a lifetime. Downers can leave you feeling drained of energy and stupid for getting down over things that now (out of the pit of despair) seem ridiculous. Anxiety can rob you of the ability to leave your own home. A trip to the corner shop becomes a mission, riddled with glances over your shoulder and a battle to keep the panick attacks threatening at bay. A combination of both as is the case in most cases as depression and anxiety go hand in hand. Where you find one you will usually find the other. Anyway a combination of both leaves myself personally so physically, emotionally and mentally exhausted that I almost always end up having a sleep after an attack. Not only does it drain your energy but it can drain the energy of those around you. This in turn triggers downers making you feel guilty for the worry you cause others. It is a vicious cycle but it can be managed. Some people find breathing and meditation help other find that medication is the answer for them. What ever way it is handle there is no shame in it. There is no shame in going to your doctor and telling then you think you may be experiencing trouble with anxiety or depression or both. As is often the case. Getting help and talking about it is the first big step. I hope this helps someone apologise if it makes no sense it's half 5 in the morning :p

After all, what is happiness? Love, they tell me. But love doesn't bring and never has brought happiness. On the contrary, it's a constant state of anxiety, a battlefield; it's sleepless nights, asking ourselves all the time if we're doing the right thing. Real love is composed of ecstasy and agony.

It is incredibly draining. Hopelessness, loneliness, guilt, shame, it is MUCH MORE than just “being sad”. It can desensitize you to the point suicide seems like the only option to escape those feelings. But you don’t have to suffer alone! Depression is one of the more treatable conditions. Being able to “talk openly” about how you’re feeling, with a trusted friend or professional, can make a big difference. Symptoms can affect appetite, sleep, interest in previously enjoyed hobbies, school performance, work, social life, health...to prevent these debilitating effects, one should seek treatment sooner than later. I wish you the best of luck.

Like you are in a dark forest, alone, and suddenly there are not even trees that you can look to. You are alone, hurting yourself for no apparent reason and you realise that this darkness comes out of you, and everything is consuming, and you can't breathe properly. Everything is overwhelming and numb at the same time. You cannot stop feeling how you feel, you lose control of everything happening to you (or that's how you feel at least). You feel like you are in a movie, like everything happening is not real, like you are not even living inside of you, you are an spectator on your own "life".

Depression makes you not want to doanything. no motivation, self esteem issues and doubting yourself. the worst self loathing. anxiety is constant worry over the things you think wouldnt worry you

Well, it's like you want to stay in bed all day but then you get stressed out by all the things you're behind on. It's having self doubts about yourself because you can't talk to people the way everyone else socializes. It's like not having any energy and you're getting sucked into a black hole where it's easier to sleep the day away but you can't because your mind won't stop racing.

Often, to depressed people, things seem pointless, you feel that everything's hopeless and that you're helpless. You want to get better, but you just can't see how it could be better. There isn't much light in life, the world is full of ugly things so why even bother? And with anxiety, you're constantly worried and terrified of things other people would consider small or unimportant. Things that other people without depression and anxiety don't even think about. Depression and anxiety are very abstract and can be difficult to explain and make others understand and along with the stigma that follows, it can be even more alienating for the people suffering from these serious issues.

At the very basic level it feels like a hopeless pit of despair which you feel all the time but it is difficult to talk about it.It makes you feel misunderstood and fear is an integral part of it as well.

You just feel like nothing will work, nothing will help, nothing will succeed, it's all one big pool of negative thoughts. "Life won't get better". "They will never like me the way I am". A bunch of negative thoughts, but stay positive, you'll get there and you'll see that life's going to get better and they will like you and so on.

Its completely disabilitating and it really takes over your life..your social life goes down the drain and there can be thoughts of suicide or any other ways to harm yourself

Its like you don't care about anything because of the depression but then you get over obsess about everything because of the anxiety. It feels like having two contradictory mental illnesses

It is hard. You have to think about being happy. But it isn't the end of the world! You are a lot stronger and can help other people a lot. It is also a sign of intelligence!

Depression is consistently feeling sad and losing interest in once enjoyable activities-- making a person not care about anything anymore. Anxiety is being nervous and worrying about things you don't need to. A person with anxiety generally cares too much. Having both is feeling like you don't care about anything and it doesn't matter, yet your future depends on caring and you feel like you're doing something wrong because you don't care enough. The two fight over each other to see "who's in the lead", which usually makes a person stressed out, too. It's very difficult to deal with.

Having depression and anxiety for me feels like I am drowning. One minute I will be fine, the next it feels like I'm underwater again. I have learned to live for the times where I feel like I can breathe again. I strive to have more days above water than under it.

Depression and anxiety is an experience that can affect people differently and in various ways. Feeling overwhelmed, unhappy, alone, not understood, empty and a feeling of hopelessness makes it tough to function. You feel like life will never be worthwhile again. This is an abnormal experience that affects everyone at some time in their life.

depression is when you don’t really care about anything, anxiety is when you care too much about everything and having both is just like what

It feels like a hole in the pit of your chest. Like you know that you could be rid of it, but can't.

To be anxious or nervous about something Is to anticipate something happening or to worry about the end of a thing with anticipation

They both feel like a trap..you feel the pain in your chest and throat at times,you get disturbing thoughts,you feel like doing crazy things(any kinds of addictions or addictive behaviour) to get out of that trap..your own feelings and body become a very painful thing..your own thoughts rise against you.

If I can rattle your cage getting you emotional, it means you're still in one and that's the cage I'm trying to help you escape from....takes a ruthless unconditional love position to do that.