When Dark Clouds Appear

DEPRESSION:  Almost everyone experiences some level of depression at some point in their lives. For some this is a sadness they feel for a short time, and then it goes away. For others depression is an illness that seemingly comes from out of nowhere for no reason and remains for days, weeks or perhaps months. Clinical depression requires a lifetime of medication and in some cases counseling. What does this kind of depression look like?

Picture a bright sunny day, not a cloud in the sky when suddenly in the blink of an eye the darkest most frightening clouds hid that lovely day. Rain and fog accompanies those clouds, and the visibility diminishes to the point that you can’t figure out where you are going. You become frightened, and you begin searching for a safe warm place. There are many things you need to do, places you must go, and people you are expected to communicate with. You try to move ahead, but in your heart you dread every encounter that surely lies before you. But you put on your best smile and even attempt to carry on like nothing is wrong. At the end of the day you are even more depressed because in your mind you believe you have made a big mess of everything you’ve done and must have looked like a fool.

Sadness rules the life of one who is going through this kind of depression. Some may advise “Get over it! Everything is going to be okay. You have so much to live for.” People may try to cheer you up, inviting you out to have a good time when the last thing you want to do is to be around people, especially crowds. You can’t imagine ”Getting over it”, or that everything is going to be okay. You might know you have much to live for, but if the dark clouds covering you are the very darkest dark you may not want to live. Those who are captured and confined in this dark dungeon of hopelessness just want to be left alone in that warm safe place that seems so hard to find.

Be sensitive to those around you who may be lost in a dark cloud. They may appear to be unfriendly or they may be like that old song which speaks of the funny little clown whose heart is breaking, but no one sees his pain. Pray for those who have this terrible disease, DEPRESSION.