Many friends and family have asked me, “What does depression feel like?” Well, there’s no simple answer. Depression has elements common to many people, but its also a very individual experience. My few descriptors of what depression feels like are just a sampling of the terrible darkness. It’s not a full list by any means.

Depression feels like a black hole is sucking you in.

You have no idea what’s waiting at the end, or if there’s anything on the other side of the black hole.

You have no energy to do anything.

Literally, you have no energy. You can’t get out of bed. It takes all your strength to get up and walk to the bathroom.

Skin hurts and hair falls out.

You aren’t eating properly, skipping meals and choosing junk food over nutritious food. So, your body reacts to the poor diet. Hair becomes brittle and falls out easily. Skin dries out, looses elasticity, and hurts.

Headaches become regular events.

Headaches and migraines start ruling your life. On a good day, you might have a dull ache behind your eyes. On a bad day, you’re out for a week with a migraine.

Your entire body aches.

It’s as if you were run over by a bus. Every inch of your body aches. Bruises start appearing for no reason. Muscles you’d forgotten about seize up. Because of this, it can hurt to simply walk.

You feel like throwing up.

Anxiety is a big part of depression. Anytime you’re worried or stressed, you start gagging on stomach juices in your mouth. Social events can make you throw up. Antacids don’t always help.

Tears form easily.

There’s lots and lots of crying. Sometimes it seems for no reason. But every time you cry, you release some of the negative energy built up inside you. There’s a sense of relief afterwards. But then the crying starts again.

You feel alone and neglected.

You can have all your family tell you they love you. But somehow it’s not enough. You feel alone. You feel neglected. Worse, you feel no one understands you or sees how truly painful your suffering is. This is an emotional and spiritual effect that is one of the hardest symptoms to get past.

Anyone who experiences depression wants to know what happens next. How long does it take to get out of depression? Is there a way out? What are the steps to escaping the darkness? Asking what depression feels like is a good first step towards getting answers to those questions.

Find me on twitter @tereziafarkas or visit my website at http://www.tereziafarkas.com