Years ago I played the personification of depression in a monologue performed as part of the “The Mental Health Players of New York.” This was performed before a convention consisting of people who have suffered from clinical depression or bipolar disorder. I share with you this meaningful piece so that the loved ones of those battling depression can understand the agony of the illness and seek proper intervention.
(Start) — I make you wish for the darkness of night.
I make everything you do an effort,
Brushing your hair, your teeth.
I take away your concentration and your memory, sap you of all your energy
So that sleep becomes your main preoccupation.
I obliterate your passion for sex.
I make you feel so lonely that even in a crowded room you feel alone.
Unworthy of the very air you breathe,
I take away all the joy from your life.
Your misery is neverending.
You are drowning in a sea of despair,
And each day the tides carry you further and further from life
Until you just want to die.
I AM DEPRESSION,(end)