misterpeace:

The thing I wish I could communicate about depression is that you don’t wish for it and you can’t wish it away.  People who are not themselves prone to depression think it’s kind of like being in a bad mood and they’ll say well-intentioned things like “Hey, cheer up!” or “You should watch a funny movie!” that are appreciated but missing the point.  Depression is more like a chronic medical condition where you have to cope with it on a day-to-day basis without one absolute cure.  Some days are better than others and there are some really low points and one of the things that makes it much worse is feeling misunderstood.  Being on a different wavelength than most people is a big part of the problem so talking to someone who’s depressed without any empathy or emotional reciprocity is painful.  At the same time, it’s hard to explain this to people without looking like an ingrate for well-meaning and intentionally helpful words when you really are thankful.  I’m sorry.  I just like to be able to see eye-to-eye with people and when I’m at my lowest, I need that harmony.  You can’t will depression away and you can’t summon positivity but feeling needed and loved and understood are the best things for it.