How best do you explain to friends the feelings of the dark times one gets when you have severe depression?

Answer 1

If they are friends, they should understand if you become a little distant. It's hard to explain exactly how you feel cause they probably haven't experience it. I just tell everyone I'm taking an "Amy time-out". That works for me.

Answer 2

like a dark rain cloud is following you, and no matter which direction you run to get into the sunshine that everyone else is basking in, the dark rain cloud cannot be evaded it just follows and looms over you, shading you from the sun making you want to go inside and hide as this means you cannot see everyone else enjoying the sun.

and a comment to 'if you are depressed you have no friends' this is not true for all who are depressed, depression is not just a reaction to circumstances, sometimes life can appear great to others, you may have an abundance of friends, a great job an amazing family and still feel this pervading sense of despair. you are depressed when you are responding to lifes circumstances that have dealt you a raw deal, you are suffering from depression when no matter what the circumstances are irrelevant.

Answer 3

Real happiness and peace can be ONLY found in submitting to the commands of the Creator and the Sustainer of this world. God has said in the Qur’an: (Truly, in remembering God do hearts find rest.)
(Qur’an, 13:28)

On the other hand, the one who turns away from the Qur’an will have a life of hardship in this world. God has said:
(But whoever turns away from the Qur’an, he will have a hard life, and We will raise him up blind on the Day of Judgment.) (Qur’an, 20:124)
This may explain why some people commit suicide while they enjoy the material comfort money can buy. For example, look at Cat Stevens (now Yusuf Islam), formerly a famous pop singer who used to earn sometimes more than $150,000 a night. After he converted to Islam, he found true happiness and peace, which he had not found in material success.
To read the stories of people who have converted to Islam, please visit

http://www.islam-guide.com/stories

At this web page, you can read the thoughts and feelings of these people, who are from different countries and have different backgrounds and levels of education.
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Answer 4

Talk to them about it from your heart. If they are true friends, they will understand what you are saying. There is really no way to explain it to them so that they know what you are feeling. If they knew exactly what you were feeling, then they would be depressed too. Also, shame on and f%*k anyone on here who makes a joke out of this. I hope that something like this happens to you.

Answer 5

You are so immobilized that you wouldn't even have the energy to kill yourself - that takes too much planning and initiative. You just want to lie in bed in a dark room and hope some outside force will somehow just make tomorrow NOT come. If you live it's okay, if you die it's okay. You are beyond the will or the energy to actualize thoughts of your demise or to pursue survival by any means. You are beyond caring if your demise happens or it doesn't. That said I have survived it and lived to enjoy life and I did it without drugs or shrinks. I just kept on living until my life just filtered back into my body. Once you know how low you can go and still come back you aren't really afraid of low anymore.

Answer 6

that you really have no reason to even get out of bed in the morning. you don't see life getting any better then it is right now for you. that you have no hope of ever being happy.

btw: i felt this way for a long time, but you can beat it-please see a counselor.

Answer 7

If you're truly severely depressed, you wont have any friends.

Answer 8

Close the curtains and turn off the lights.

Answer 9

show them your wrists