How can I begin to describe depression to someone who has never had it?

Depression is different for everyone, so definitely tweak any advice you get to fit what depression means to you. For me personally, depression means this: Not being able to get out of bed for almost 24 hours because I just can't get myself to move. Skipping meals. Ignoring my friends. Getting into bed extremely early in the evening (sometimes even afternoon) and not leaving until I have to get up in the morning. Not being able to eat a meal with friends even if you enjoy their company. Crying every night. Feeling worthless because of a grade I got on an assignment. There are other things too, but those are some things that came to mind first. I hope that helps!

All i can compare it to, to someone without depression is a similar feeling of grief after a loved one has died. Only a loved one is dying every day, or couple of days, recourringly.

Depression can feel like your world gets smaller and smaller. It also can feel like a dark, heavy, wet blanket around the heart/mind/spirit that doesn't go away and that seems to feel tighter and darker and more and more uncomfortable as time goes on. Feelings of stuckness, helplessness and hopelessness are also common with depression. You can *know* what you "should" do to get out of it, but the motivation to just do it is not there, and the vicious cycle repeats. Depression can make us feel all alone in the world and even if that's not the reality, it sure feels this way, and changing it takes time, patience and work. The best first thing we can do for depression is to talk about it with someone who has an open mind and heart, who doesn't judge, and who let's us share how we feel without jumping to solutions. Depressed people don't want or need to hear "get over it", or "medication can help", or other things like that. Gentleness and presence and kind connection goes a long way for depression. One day at a time, and one foot in front of the other, is the way out of depression. No time limits and no conditions and lots of compassion and understanding - towards ourselves and from others - goes a long way. Be well and be YOU, because there's no one else like you in the world, and because you matter!

Depression mainly described as a state of losing yourself in many ways. Your feelings and ideas are going in the same direction over and over, there is not that many points of view of the situations, most of them are negative.

I usually describe it as a looming rain cloud that follows me where ever it is that I am. It persists and doesn't go away.

I would begin by making it clear that depression isn't about simply being "sad" all the time. Depression, instead, is a treatable mental disorder whose symptoms express themselves in a variety of ways, one of which includes being "sad." I would then go on to describe some of your other symptoms, such as feeling a lack of motivation, feeling like you can't enjoy the things you used to love, and possibly even thoughts/attempts at suicide. It's important to against differentiate depression from normal bouts of sorrow, which we all get. Depression is just as real of a mental disorder as schizophrenia, and should be treated with the same seriousness-- it's not simply "being sad." That said, remind the person that it -is- treatable, and that help is available (through drugs, talk therapy, behavioral modification, etc).

Describe it such as a rainstorm that does not stop, and explain the feelings that Depression brings to you on a daily basis.

It's like a dark force always hanging over you and making you feel horrible about anything you say or do. You feel like everything is hopeless and nothing makes you feel happy anymore. You can get out of bed because what's the point. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

Many people confuse depression with extreme sensation of sadness. But actually, I think it is feeling nothing, which is actually more worst than being extremely sad.

One of the main things is the dopamine and serotonin is not balanced in your brain. Your emotions become more intense, especially sadness and anger if someone is depressed, and it's harder to regulate emotions like that.