Through photography, poetry, and stories, I hope to capture one experience of severe Depression - the depths of despair and pain as well as the hope and healing I have found over time. I want you to see the world through my eyes, to see how Depression clouds the perception of everyday moments, to see behind the clinical definitions into the impact of depression on one's spirit and soul.
Dare I?
Dare I enjoy the sun,
the chirp of a bird?
Dare I let myself smile
at each morning's music?
Dare I imagine the dream
of feeling alive?
Dare I leave my quiet sanctuary
and step in the tide,
the hustle and bustle,
the swirls of life?
Dare I rejoin the world,
take life by the hand?
Dare I let myself feel again,
or is it too strong?
Dare I let myself trust again?
In myself?
In possibility?
In dreams?
Dare I let myself cry again?
To feel hurt or pain,
love or friendship,
sadness or worry,
anger? Grief?
Dare I let myself jump
in the flow of life?
To be shaken by currents,
battered by rocks,
To fly down the waterfalls,
race to the sea?
Dare I let myself be touched
by... the world?
Or do I close myself off,
alone in my cave
with my thoughts all a-crazy,
a whirlwind in my head,
a buffer...
from the world.
Did you know...
- In any given year, 6.5% of women and 3.3% of men have major depression.
- Everyone will at some time in their life be affected by depression, their own or someone else's.
- 54% of people believe depression is a personal weakness.
- 15% of depressed people will commit suicide.
- Depression will be the second largest killer after heart disease by 2020.
