The Black Dog of Depression
Winston Churchill described Depression as the “black dog” that follows you everywhere. Churchill was one of the most famous people that was besieged by episodes of deep depression.
This is indeed a sneaky dog. This dog will run off with many of your most precious assets and bury them where you might never find them again.
The black dog steals your joy. Nothing will give you pleasure. There is no anticipation of pleasant events or outcomes. If you find yourself becoming attached to a person or situation, the black dog will convince you that you should immediately begin to mourn for it, because it too shall soon be gone. Happiness must mean loss. The sense of loss follows so quickly behind any tiny glimpses of happiness that they become one and the same.
Winston Churchill described Depression as the “black dog” that follows you everywhere. Churchill was one of the most famous people that was besieged by episodes of deep depression.
This is indeed a sneaky dog. This dog will run off with many of your most precious assets and bury them where you might never find them again.
The black dog steals your joy. Nothing will give you pleasure. There is no anticipation of pleasant events or outcomes. If you find yourself becoming attached to a person or situation, the black dog will convince you that you should immediately begin to mourn for it, because it too shall soon be gone. Happiness must mean loss. The sense of loss follows so quickly behind any tiny glimpses of happiness that they become one and the same.
Why would anyone seek this version of happiness?
The black dog makes sure that you always seek the worst case scenario. Why should things ever be any different? Ah, but if you are prepared for the worst, you protect yourself, you will argue. Not only that, but you can never be disappointed. You have come to understand that disappointment is related to the gap between expectation and reality. Being on the offensive means you expect the worst that can happen. And very often you unwittingly make this your reality.
Begin to react to the worst imaginable outcome before it happens. Feel the pain, the despondency. Even if it turns out to be not as bad as you thought, you will still have the depressing experience. This state of depression can become as familiar and comfortable as an old worn-out slipper. We can retreat into the well moulded cocoon. No one will come looking for us here. We can safely hide and have no one make demands of us. Expectations that others have of us are minimized. We are left to our own brooding. And we come to enjoy it in a strange and knowing way.
The depressing thought processes that come with depression ironically keep one depressed.
The lack of energy to improve one’s situation which accompanies depression keeps a person depressed. Nothing changes if you do nothing to change things, so you live in a depressing world and stay there.
The black dog runs away with your energy and runs away with your sleep. You might stay in bed all day because you’re so exhausted. Then the night comes and you don’t sleep a wink.
Damn that dog that takes your energy, leaving you with a heavy, full body encased -in -cement -stoned feeling that is wrought with despair.
The worst thing the dog steals is your optimism. It makes sure you will never have hope that things can and will get better. Any flicker of wondering if things might get better is immediately extinguished by the shadow of the black dog. Any new treatment, therapy or intervention offered will be ripped to shreds by its viscous sharp teeth.
The dog will also find a way to barr it’s teeth and threaten any person who dares to try to get too close. Anyone who attempts to bring love, genuine concern and the desire to support you and lead you out of your pain becomes an enemy that the black dog must attack. If such a person can successfully break in to your heart and soul, the black dog loses its power over you.
When you are in the grips of the black dog, and are living deep in its lair, you might not be aware of the tricks it uses to keep you prisoner. You might not see that you actually
