The pain of severe depression is quite unimaginable to those who have not suffered it, and it kills in many instances because its anguish can no longer be borne. The prevention of many suicides will continue to be hindered until there is a general awareness of the nature of this pain. William Styron
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The pain of severe depression is quite unimaginable to those who have not suffered it, and it kills in many instances because its anguish can no longer be borne. The prevention of many suicides will continue to be hindered until there is a general awareness of the nature of this pain. When you suffer from severe depression, it is hard to imagine—much less bear—the pain caused by your depression. You can’t possibly fathom how much suffering you are enduring or that your suffering will eventually lead to your death. You are so sad that you are unable to feel anything else.

You are so sad that you can’t remember what happiness feels like. And you are so sad that there is no reason to live anymore. It doesn’t matter how often you have told your loved ones this exact same thing or how many times they have pleaded with you to get help for your depression. Depression is a deadly illness with an extraordinarily high mortality rate, especially in women, who can suffer from it for years before their condition begins to degenerate into suicidal ideation.

Depression is the leading cause of suicide among women between the ages of 45 and 64, causing more deaths each year than breast cancer, AIDS, or uterine cancer combined. It is most common in people under the age of 25 but it can strike at any age. It occurs throughout all races, ethnic groups, social classes, cultures, and religions without exception—even with people who have had no previous history of mental illness. Depression affects approximately 16 percent of Americans at some point in their lives and nearly half the population during certain points in their lives. More than two-thirds of those affected will experience depression at some point during their lifetime and about one-third will experience major depression (which involves significant changes in behavior and thinking).

For many people, depression starts with a single episode but for others it occurs over a period of time and may be characterized by sporadic episodes interspersed with periods when they feel well and function normally. Major depressive disorder (MDD) has been called “the last great medical problem without a cure” because although effective treatments exist for other mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, no such treatments exist for depression. Unfortunately, it seems that depressed people must endure their suffering until they die from suicide—which is often how they choose to deal with their suffering and bring about an end to their suffering and suffering alone: Suicide is the 10th leading cause

Source: Darkness Visible: A Memoir Of Madness

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More Quotes By William Styron
  1. E quindi uscimmo a riveder le stelle. And so we came forth, and once again beheld the stars.
  2. The good writing of any age has always been the product of someone's neurosis, and we'd have a mighty dull literature if all the writers that came along were a bunch of happy chuckleheads.
  3. The good writing of any age has always been the product of someone's neurosis, and we'd have mighty dull literature if all the writers that came along were a happy bunch of chuckleheads.
  4. I get a fine warm feeling when I'm doing well, but that pleasure is pretty much negated by the pain of getting started each day. Let's face it, writing is hell.
  5. A great book should leave you with many experiences, and slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading.
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