How Do You Visualize Your Depression?

Tell us what your depression feels like to you and our illustrators might draw it.

Depression is a confusing, multi-faceted disease that manifests differently in every person it affects.

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It's hard to describe how depression feels to other people, but sometimes its helpful to use visual metaphors to convey the way depression feels.

It can feel like a foreign mass around your brain.

"I visualize depression as an intangible black mass that swirls around my chest and head. It has these undulating limbs that can reach out and grow in strength, and it has the ability to hurt or sicken me, but I cannot grab hold of it or shake its presence no matter how hard I try."

Or loud, mean voices that are hard to ignore.

"I understand depression as standing on stage in a stadium filled with people who are yelling are throwing things at me. I'm trying to get my microphone to work so I can talk back to them and regain control, but the audience is too loud. Eventually I just cover my ears and try to block the sound out."

Even though no two people experience depression in the same way, these visualizations of a common disease can help people with depression feel less alone and more understood.

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So how do you visualize your depression? Tell us in the comments or, if you'd rather be anonymous, email [e-mail] and our team of illustrators might draw your descriptions for a BuzzFeed post.

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And remember: you are not alone.