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?

[Hopefullseeking]

For me l would be a turtle.

I show the world this hard outer shell, very few see the soft vulnerable inside.

l can hide when l feel the world is to much but when l do face the world l go slowly.

Hope that makes sense.

[CMF]

Hi Hopefullseeking,

I totally get that and can relate.

I find that if I expose the soft vulnerable side I'm told I'm too sensitive yet if I only show the hard outer shell I'm a cold hard person.

Just can't win.

CMF

[shad0wings]

A black little demon/gremlin thing that sits on my shoulder. However, as I have begun to see some light - it has given me a few more sprays of aeroguard, so hopefully he stays away for a while! 

[MegW]

Mine is a Kelpie dog, when it's bad he's jumping up all over me, sometimes with muddy paws.  Sometimes he's slinking at my heels and sometimes I just catch him out of the corner of my eye cruising through some long grass.  At best he's just a silhouette way off on the horizon.

Meg.

[Mickeys_sparkle]

A black Bat quite large with it's wings partly wrapped around me. Partly because i am trying to fight my way out .. Trying being the word at the moment .. so much going on.

[lil_miss_lexi2000]

If my depression was a creature....Mine probably would be a tall black scary looking fairy, with long black wings that wrap around me, and squeeze me tight until i cant breath sometimes. I hate it. Because sometimes when im scared, or angry, or just depressed, the scary dark fairy comes back, and wraps its wings around me until im gulping for air, and freaking out....

It sounds scary, but its true..

[Pixie15]

Hi,

When I had a really low point a couple of years ago while I was doing therapy I remember comparing myself to a jelly fish which had been washed on the beach of life and not capable of moving to defend myself. The therapist having come across me stranded there was poking me with a stick trying to get me to do the impossible and crawl back into the ocean of life under my own steam.

I still have a clear picture of it but it is associated more with feelings of amusement than frustration these days.

Grateful.

[pygmy]

slug

[MisterM]

A raven always flying in circles around my head wherever I go, swooping at me, laughing at me with its call, pooing on my head from a height, creating a nest of negativity on my head, laying its eggs of doubt to hatch misery and fear.

[REOSpeedwagon]

Mine would be a possum - they can look cute and harmless most of the time and especially to others who don't have an issue but for someone with possum trouble at night, they are all grey and black hidden in foliage with shining eyes that glow in a creepy way.  They get in your roof space and wreck things, make a mess and a stink then disappear when you try to catch them.  Plus if you ever corner them they can be nasty and do real damage to you.

This is how I see it - my depression is hidden from view most of the time if people know they don't see it as being that harmful but I know better.  I fight a constant battle in my head to clean up after it and try and corner it to minimise the damage it does to my life.  Even when I think I have gotten rid of it, sooner or later it creeps back without me realising and it is awhile before the smell gets strong enough, and damage has already started to occur, that you realise you need to deal with it again. Then to deal with it you try and get it under control without getting hurt too much or it having hurt others.  You may try and possum-proof yourself and move on but you keep checking those dark corners looking for the beady eyes that just wait until you are focussed elsewhere so they can sneak in again.