Quotes

Quotes and Sayings About Depression

Depression quotes and sayings about depression can provide insight into what it's like living with depression as well as inspiration and a feeling of "someone gets it." These quotes on depression and depression sayings deal with different aspects of the illness such as grief, sadness, loneliness and other related issues. Feel free to share them on your website, blog or social page for your own enjoyment or to help others.

• Short Depression Quotes
• Inspirational Depression Quotes
• Deep Depression Quotes
• Depression Quotes About Life
• Helpful Depression Quotes
• Saddest Depression Quotes

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“Hold on to this hope: You can get better from depression.”

Depression quotes are available to remind you there are treatments for depression and you're never too depressed to get better.

 

"We hide to try our feelings, but we forget that our eyes speak.”

Depression makes you want to hide inside yourself. But hiding your feelings (or lack of feeling, numbness) won't help you get well.

 

"Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also more hard to bear. The frequent attempt to conceal mental pain increases the burden. It is easier to say, 'My tooth is aching' than to say 'My heart is broken'.”

Sometimes, people resort to self-harm to relieve emotional pain. But there are self-harm alternatives that work. 

 

“I am bent, but not broken. I am scarred, but not disfigured. I am sad, but not hopeless. I am tired, but not powerless. I am angry, but not bitter. I am depressed, but not giving up.”

Giving up when you have a mental illness like depression sounds attractive in your darkest moments. But take comfort from the depression quote above and don't give up.

 

“If you know someone who’s depressed, please resolve never to ask them why. Depression isn’t a straightforward response to a bad situation; depression just is, like the weather.”

What does cause depression? Like the depression quote infers, depression 'just is'. It is sadness that has a direct cause.

 

“I have depression. But I prefer to say “I battle” depression instead of “I suffer” with it. Because depression hits, but I hit back. Battle on.”

Self-help for depression is a viable method to ease the symptoms of depression. You too can 'battle' depression instead of 'suffer' from it.

 

"You look happy, but you don't feel happy. That's what depression does to you."

Did you know that forcing yourself to be happy is a warning sign of depression? Talk about your feelings. Don't force that smile.

 

"Depression is being colorblind and constantly told how colorful the world is.” 

Describing depression through metaphor helps others who don't have depression understand what you're going through. What does your depression feel like?

 

“When you suffer from depression 'I’m tired' means a permanent state of exhaustion that sleep doesn’t fix.”

Depression and sleep disorders (sleeping too much, too little, or experiencing interrupted sleep) often co-occur. By performing proper sleep hygiene you can lessen the effects of depression.

 

“Whenever I have a good few months and I think I’ve gotten over the worst on my depression, it silently returns. This isn’t a battle I asked to fight. I’m tired of knowing it’s always coming back.”

Does the thought of a depression relapse frighten you? You can lessen the fear by coming up with a wellness plan to take some of the mystery of what a relapse might entail.

 

"I wanted to write down exactly what I felt but somehow the paper stayed empty and I could not have described it any better.”

Journaling for self-care works. But sometimes, when you're depressed, it's challenging to know what to write. Why not try keeping a positivity journal? It's easy and can be as simple as a list.

 

"No one realizes how strong someone with depression has to be just to do daily stuff like shower, brush hair or get out of bed.”

Practicing self-care for your mental health can take a hit when you're depressed. Some days you may stay in bed all day. Some days you won't brush your hair. It's okay. Just do what you can and forgive yourself for what you can't.

 

“Today my forest is dark. The trees are sad and all the butterflies have broken wings.”

A positive mental attitude can be difficult to muster when you're depressed. Some days will be just as the above depression quote says: pretty miserable. But those days won't last forever.

 

“What people never understand is that depression isn’t about the outside; it’s about the inside.”

Depression is more than being sad over something that happened. Depression is about a brain that tells you life is horrible and gray. It comes from the inside. (See "10 Things to Help with Depression" for help.)

 

“When you’re depressed you don’t control your thoughts, your thoughts control you. I wish people would understand this.”

It's common to have negative thoughts when you live with mental illness. Look at these examples of negative thoughts. Are yours similar or the same?

 

“Sleep just isn’t sleep anymore, it’s an escape.”

Do you sleep to avoid the pain of depression? Lots of people do. Besides the desire to sleep, oversleeping is a symptom of depression.

 

“No matter how bad things are right now. No matter how stuck you feel. No matter how many days you’ve spent crying and wishing things were different. No matter how hopeless and depressed you feel. I promise you that you won’t feel this way forever. Keep going.”

Hopelessness feels horrible. It's crushing and disappointing. It can make you feel too sick to help yourself. But like all things, it will end. You will feel hopeful again!

 

“I am not using my depression as an excuse. Trust me, I’d give anything to function “normally” on a day to day basis.”

If you feel like you aren't functioning normally, it could be due to depression's symptom of 'brain fog'. Keep in mind that this is only a symptom -- it will lessen in time.

 

“Depression is like a bruise that never goes away. A bruise in your mind. You just got to be careful not to touch it where it hurts. It’s always there though.”

The good news? Depression's cognitive dysfunction can and will wane. You will get your brain back. 

 

“I miss me. The old me, the happy me, the bright me, the smiling me, the laughing me, the gone me.”

The loss of identity from depression is a real feeling. But, like most depression symptoms, you will find yourself again, and you will be glorious.

Depression Quotes and Sayings on What Depression Feels Like

If you identified with one of the depression quotes and sayings above, keep reading. There's surely more here that will validate your experience.

• Short Depression Quotes
• Inspirational Depression Quotes
• Deep Depression Quotes
• Depression Quotes About Life
• Helpful Depression Quotes
• Saddest Depression Quotes

 

Short Depression Quotes

Enjoy these short depression quotes that beautifully sum up depression's feelings and symptoms in a few words.

"The worst kind of sad is not being able to explain why."

 

"And then suddenly I became sad for no reason at all."

 

"When you have depression simply existing is a full-time job."

 

"Why does everything always feel worse at night?"

 

"That is all I want in life: for this pain to seem purposeful."

 

“Depression is not the same as sadness.”

 

“Nobody ever tells you that emptiness weighs the most.”

 

“I want to sleep until I feel better.”

 

"Sometimes even to live is an act of courage."

 

"She was drowning, but nobody saw her struggle."

 

"My silence is just another word for my pain."

 

"I miss the person I used to be."

 

"I'm exhausted from trying to be stronger than I feel."

 

"I am not living. I am surviving." 

 

"I feel lost inside of myself."

 

"People don't die from suicide, they die from sadness."

 

"Sometimes I'm sad and tired and miserable for no reason at all."

 

"There's nothing more depressing than having it all and still feeling sad."

 

“If you are chronically down, it is a lifelong fight to keep from sinking.”

 

Inspirational Depression Quotes

Inspirational depression quotes are beacons of hope for your darkest days. Remember that being down doesn't last forever. You will feel better again.

“The sun is a daily reminder that we too can rise again from the darkness, that we too can shine our own light.”  

 

“Your mental health is more important than the test, the interview, the lunch date, the meeting, the family dinner, and the grocery-run. Take care of yourself.”

 

"All your quirks and all your problems - even your depressions and your failures - that's what makes you you."

 

“You will feel better than this, maybe not yet, but you will. You just keep living until you are alive again.”

 

"You are allowed to feel messed up and inside out. It doesn't mean you're defective - it just means you're human."

 

“I have depression. But I prefer to say, “I battle depression” instead of “I suffer” with it. Because depression hits, but I hit back. Battle on.”

 

“And if today all you did was hold yourself together, I’m proud of you.”

 

“Stay strong, your story isn’t over yet.”

 

“Mental illness is not a personal failure.”

 

“You are strong for surviving.”

 

Deep Depression Quotes

Deep depression quotes take us to the heart of depression. Despair, suicidality and darkness. If you've never had depression, these quotes can help you understand what someone with depression endures.

"Depression is living in a body that fights to survive, with a mind that tries to die."

 

"During depression the world disappears. Language itself. One has nothing to say. Nothing. No small talk, no anecdotes. Nothing can be risked on the board of talk. Because the inner voice is so urgent in its own discourse: How shall I live? How shall I manage the future? Why should I go on?"

 

"Every thought is a battle. Every breath is a war, and I don’t think I’m winning anymore.”

 

"I don't want any more of this try, try again stuff. I just want out. I've had it. I am so tired. I am twenty and I am already exhausted."

 

“And something inside me just...broke...That's the only way I could describe it.”

 

“I wanted to talk about it. Damn it. I wanted to scream. I wanted to yell. I wanted to shout about it. But all I could was whisper “I’m fine.”

 

"I don't want to see anyone. I lie in the bedroom with the curtains drawn and nothingness washing over me like a sluggish wave. Whatever is happening to me is my own fault. I have done something wrong, something so huge I can't even see it, something that's drowning me. I am inadequate and stupid, without worth. I might as well be dead."

 

"It's a bit like walking down a long, dark corridor, never knowing when the light will go on."

 

“There comes a point where you no longer care if there’s a light at the end of the tunnel or not. You’re just sick of the tunnel.”

 

“When depression takes over and I can’t push through it, I have to close my door and shut the world out. It’s the only way I know how to survive.”

 

"Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win."

 

"They flank me – depression on my left, loneliness on my right. They don’t need to show their badges. I know these guys very well."

 

"Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live."

 

"The silence depressed me. It wasn't the silence of silence. It was my own silence."

 

“You don’t understand depression until you can’t stand your own presence in an empty room.”

 

“It felt like this was never going to end. The world wasn’t going to stop crashing down until there was nothing left of me but dust.”

 

"I didn't want to wake up. I was having a much better time asleep. And that's really sad. It was almost like a reverse nightmare, like when you wake up from a nightmare you're so relieved. I woke up into a nightmare."

 

“I am sad all the time and the sadness is so heavy that I can’t get away from it.

 

"And I knew it was bad when I woke up in the mornings and the only thing I looked forward to was going back to bed."

 

"Sometimes I get so sad. So sad that I completely shut down. I stare blankly at the wall and it doesn't matter what you say to me. Because at that moment. I don't exist."

Depression Quotes About Life

Depression quotes about life illustrate what it feels like to wake up with depression every day. They talk about the isolation, loneliness, and fatigue (among other daily symptoms) that people with depression experience almost daily.

"It was almost like a reverse nightmare, like when you wake up from a nightmare you're so relieved. I woke up into a nightmare."

 

"I want to tell you how to help me. I want you to tell me what I need. I wish I could."

 

"She hurts and she cries. But you can't see the depression in her eyes. Because she just smiles..."

 

"I wish I could go back to a time when I could smile and it didn't take everything in me to do it."

 

"So you try to think of someone else you're mad at, and the unavoidable answer pops into your little warped brain: everyone."

 

"Because wherever I sat—on the deck of a ship or at a street café in Paris or Bangkok—I would be sitting under the same glass bell jar, stewing in my own sour air."

 

"I am so demanding and difficult for my friends because I want to crumble and fall apart before them so that they will love me even though I am no fun, lying in bed, crying all the time, not moving. Depression is all about If you loved me you would."

 

"That's the thing about depression: A human being can survive almost anything, as long as she sees the end in sight. But depression is so insidious, and it compounds daily, that it's impossible to ever see the end."

 

"You sometimes think you want to disappear, but all you really want is to be found.

 

"Sometimes you just need someone to tell you you're not as terrible as you think you are."

 

"I wish I could go back to a time when I could smile and it didn't take everything in me to do it."

"She says she's fine but she's going insane. She says she feels good but she's in a lot of pain. She says it's nothing but it's really a lot. she says she's okay. but really she's not."

 

"It's hard to answer the question "What's wrong?" when nothing's right."

 

"You hate when people see you cry because you want to be that strong girl. At the same time, though, you hate how nobody notices how torn apart and broken you are."

"Depression makes you isolated. It's very hard to think of other people when you're wrapped in a prickly blanket of sadness and all you can think about is your own pain."

 

"I'm not sure if I'm depressed. I mean, I'm not sad, but I'm not exactly happy either. I can laugh and joke and smile during the day, but sometimes when I'm alone at night I forget how to feel."

 

"It feels like everyone else is moving on with their lives while I am stuck here, in this hole that I can’t climb out of.”

 

"There are wounds that never show on the body that are deeper and more hurtful than anything that bleeds."

 

“You smile, but you wanna cry. You talk, but you wanna be quiet. You pretend like you’re happy but you aren’t.”

 

“My body and heart weren’t made for this. I’m tired of being tired and I’m tired of being sad.”

 

“So you try to think of someone else you’re mad at, and the unavoidable answer pops into your little warped brain: everyone.”

 

“I feel so disconnected from the world, and I feel like no one even notices me or cares about me anymore.”

 

"I thought by masking the depression with silence, the feelings might disappear.

 

"My life is just one constant battle between wanting to be alone, but not wanting to be lonely."

 

"Sometimes I wonder if I will ever be happy with myself. I worry that if I can't be happy with myself, then nobody will ever be happy with me."

 

"I want to be happy but something inside me screams that I do not deserve it."

 

"The worst kind of pain is when you're smiling just to stop the tears from falling."

 

"Sometimes just the thought of facing the day feels like broken glass in my soul."

 

"I'm the type of girl who smiles to make everyone's day. Even though I'm dying on the inside."

 

"I hate this feeling. Like I'm here, but I'm not. Like someone cares. But they don't. Like I belong somewhere else, anywhere but here."

 

"The only thing more exhausting than being depressed is pretending that you're not."

 

"It's not the feeling of completeness I need, but the feeling of not being empty."

 

"It's not always the tears that measure the pain. Sometimes it's the smile we fake."

 

"When you're surrounded by all these people, it can be even lonelier than when you're by yourself. You can be in a huge crowd, but if you don't feel like you can trust anybody or talk to anybody, you feel like you're really alone."

 

"There is no point treating a depressed person as though she were just feeling sad, saying, 'There now, hang on, you'll get over it.' Sadness is more or less like a head cold- with patience, it passes. Depression is like cancer."

 

"They ask. "How are you doing?" But what they mean is "Are you over it yet?" My lips say, "Fine, thanks", but my eyes tell a different story, my heart sings a different tune, and my soul just weeps."

 

"Depression is feeling like you're lost something but having no clue when or where you last had it. Then one day you realize what you lost is yourself."

 

"Depression is the overwhelming sense of numbness and the desire for anything that can help you make it from one day to the next."

 

"I define depression as a comparison of your current reality to a fantasy about how you wish your life would be."

 

"That's the thing about depression: A human being can survive almost anything, as long as she sees the end in sight. But depression is so insidious, and it compounds daily, that it's impossible to ever see the end. The fog is like a cage without a key."

 

"Depression is a prison where you are both the suffering prisoner and the cruel jailer."

Helpful Depression Quotes

Helpful depression quotes seek to give you insight into the disease of depression. Oftentimes, self-blame and a lack of insight accompany depression. Hopefully these quotes might help you realize that something you're experiencing is a symptom -- not a character defect.

“You're not a bad person for the ways you tried to kill your sadness.”

 

“It all starts with not wanting to get out of bed, that’s how you know you’re getting bad again.”

 

“Depression exist without you knowing it, even denying it. It is not an illusion. You don’t even know you’re in it. It takes a while before you realize it.”

 

"Sometimes, what a person needs is not a brilliant mind that speaks, but a patient heart that listens."

 

"Our sorrows and wounds are healed only when we touch them with compassion."

 

"Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it."

 

"When you are happy, you enjoy the music. but when you are sad, you understand the lyrics."

 

“Please try not to judge how someone is dealing with a pain you have never experienced.”

 

"Depression is a flaw in chemistry, not character."

Saddest Depression Quotes

Depression is not only sadness, but sadness is a part of living with depression. These saddest depression quotes express the emotion eloquently.

"It's so difficult to describe depression to someone who's never been there because it's not sadness."

 

“Sad hurts but it’s a healthy feeling. It is a necessary thing to feel. Depression is very different.”

 

“Depression isn’t just being a bit sad. It’s feeling nothing. It’s not wanting to be alive anymore."

 

"Saying "I'm tired" when you're actually sad."

 

"Depression has nothing to do with having a bad day or being sad."

 

"Grief is depression in proportion to circumstance; depression is grief out of proportion to circumstance."

 

“Anyone who has actually been that sad can tell you that there’s nothing beautiful or literary or mysterious about depression.”

 

“People think depression is sadness. People think depression is crying. People think depression is dressing in black. But people are wrong. Depression is a constant feeling of being numb. Being numb to emotions, being numb to life. You wake up in the morning just to go back to bed again.”

 

What is depression like? It's like drowning. Except you can see everyone around you breathing."