How do you describe your depression to people who don't get it?

voted for the heavy invisible blanket. it's like wearing a weighted vest that nobody else can see. everything takes twice the effort.

The thick glass one for me. I can see life happening on the other side but I can't quite reach it or feel it properly. People are laughing and enjoying things and I'm watching from behind this invisible barrier.

can't describe it. that's the one i picked. the words aren't there sometimes.

These metaphors are clinically valuable. In my practice, helping clients find their own language for depression – rather than relying on clinical terminology – often deepens their self-understanding and improves communication with loved ones. Each metaphor here captures a different dimension of the experience, and all of them are accurate.

The treading water one nearly got my vote too. That sense of exhausting effort just to stay in the same place while everyone else seems to be swimming effortlessly. It's draining.

showed this poll to my mum. she said reading the options helped her understand more than anything i've tried to explain. sometimes it takes someone else's words.

An important observation: the variety of responses here reflects the heterogeneity of depressive experience. Depression is not one condition – it presents differently across individuals. This is why personalised treatment approaches matter. Your specific experience deserves specific attention.