If your depression were a physical creature, what would it be?

[aidjm]

I started thinking about this a few weeks back, and I wanted to get some other people's insights. I've done a bit of writing just for something to do, and I was thinking about writing a story about a person whose depression manifests itself as a physical being.

For me, I kind of pictured it as a big black lizard-thing that sits on my shoulders and digs in with its claws, and doesn't want to let go.

What about you guys?

[geoff]

dear Aidjm, good idea and all have been very interesting, but I do like Neil's tattoo.

I tend to agree with GA as I was going to say an enormous octopus with tentacles surrounding every movement you make, or perhaps the revolting Jabba the Hutt from Star Wars. Geoff.

[--Danny--]

Depression to me is like a monkey sitting on my shoulders that I just can't shake off..like a squeezing, suffocating feeling....

Danny

[Vegetarian Marshmallow]

I'll go for a jewel wasp.  It stings a cockroach in a particular part of its brain, turning it into a docile zombie.  The wasp then grabs the cockroach by its antenna and leads it like a dog on a leash to its doom, with no opposition from the cockroach.  It leads the cockroack its burrow, lays its egg on the cockroach, closes the burrow and then goes off and plays backgammon.  The cockroach just hangs out there in the dark hole, in its zombified state, until the wasp larva hatches and eats it alive over the course of about a week.

A similar thread from a while ago:

http://www.beyondblue.org.au/connect-with-others/online-forums/depression/is-your-beast-male-female-both-or-neutral-and-why-

[BigBunny]

great Odin's raven! o_O I think I've seen that wasp on tv, only it didn't lay it's eggs on a cockroach but a poor caterpillar 😞 

[Vegetarian Marshmallow]

I think that's a different one.  I think there are a few parasitoidal wasps out there.  Jewel wasps specifically go after this one type of cockroach.

I know Ichnuemon wasps go after caterpillar larvae.  I remember those ones because I know they contributed to weakening Charles Darwin's belief in the existence of God - he thought God could never have created a creature whose entirely ordinary everyday way of reproducing itself was so absolutely evil.

[BigBunny]

Hi Odin's Beard, did you get my reference to Ron Burgundy in Anchorman? as soon as I saw your name, it popped in my head. "by the beard of Zeus!" "great Odin's raven!" >=:) that film has to be in my top 5 comedies.

gosh, there must be a few wasps that do that, but I don't like cockroaches, at least the house ones that come out in summer are on my 'must destroy' list. I love your avatar by the way, is that kitten really wearing that?

[Vegetarian Marshmallow]

Nah, I never got that into Anchorman.  My friends all seem to think it's great, but I thought it was just alright.  I'm not great at remembering quotes even from films that I loved, anyway.

Yeah, looks like it's wearing it.  I mean, it doesn't seem to be photoshopped, if that's what you mean.  It's not my cat, I just took it from the internet.  I actually first saw this picture about 5 years ago, and recently specifically looked for it because of how much of an impact its particular cuteness had on me 😛

[Doolhof]

My depression would manifest itself like a dragon, buried deep inside of me, then emerging from my back, spreading its wings and encompassing me with it's dark power of negativeness.

On really bad days the dragon would raise its head, show it's huge teeth and rip into anyone who tried to come near to help me. Now and then flashes of red hot flames would dart from it's mouth, burning up anything that represented peace, contentment and comfort.

On days when I thought I might have the dragon under control, or I believed it was quietly sleeping, the dragon would send out a sharply clawed foot and drag me back with in its grasp.

To make peace with my dragon is my dream.

From Dools.

[Katatonic]

Hi aidjm

I actually found a familiarity with the context of your post as well as 1 of intrigue on how ppl answered. For me from basically childhood of 4 or so & having my late sister being 11yrs older, we spent many nights trying to scare the heck out of each other lol. I always was a vampire even before I knew or understood what a vampire was. Its carried through well into my adulthood but more amazing is how as I made friends etc & never of course telling them what I felt I was, would have them laugh & comment on i appeared "vampire",like. I think it's because I love the night the dark the silence whereas days are bright & loud & what appears to me as other ppl being bright,happy & cheerful etc. As a vampire on the darker side to my life i feel i can simply envelope myself with my bat like wings or cape & hide safe & secure. Strange but true.

[petal_dew]

Mine would be like a mosquito.  You never really notice it till after you have been bitten. It violates you gets inside you and feeds off you draining me of motivation energy happiness and the will to keep going forward.

Yet has been a constant presents for so long. You can swat it away cover it in chemicals even change location but it will keep coming at you just when you think you have control.