“Woke up this morning with
a terrific urge to lie in bed all day
and read. Fought against it for a minute.Then looked out the window at the rain.
And gave over. Put myself entirely
in the keep of this rainy morning.Would I live my life over again?
Make the same unforgivable mistakes?
Yes, given half a chance. Yes.”
― Raymond Carver, All of Us: The Collected Poems
Cynthia W. Lubow: What It’s Like Inside a Depressed Person’s Head
“A major depressive episode can alter not only a person’s mood and sense of belonging but also his or her reality.”
“Major depression feels like intense pain that can’t be identified in any particular part of the body. The most (normally) pleasant and comforting touch can feel painful to the point of tears. People seem far away—on the other side of a glass bubble. No one seems to understand or care, and people seem insincere. Depression is utterly isolating.”
“I might look successful and happy being in front of you today, but I once suffered from severe depression and was in total despair. The violin, which meant everything to me, became a grave burden on me. […]
In the midst of hardship, it was the music that gave me, and it restored my soul. […]
Now, I use my music to reach people’s hearts and have found there are no boundaries. My audience is anyone who is here to listen, even those who are not familiar with classical music.”
– Ji-Hae Park
