I don’t understand depression, but when my friends say they are depressed, all I can do is try to practice cognitive empathy.
From what I observe, depression is like driving a car in thick fog.
You don’t know where the fog comes from. Sometimes it’s so light that you can still move forward, but in the worst conditions, you’re blinded by the fog. It makes you question whether you should wait or just keep pressing on the gas.
Some wait for the fog to disappear, some try to keep pressing on the gas. For those who wait for the fog to disappear, it vanishes over time. Others who wait don’t make it; they lack resources and suddenly succumb. Those who try to move forward little by little find that the fog disappears as they progress. Yet, some who attempt to move forward may fall into a canyon or crash into something.
Sometimes depression itself affects people collectively. They are all driving together in a car filled with thick fog. It’s like being in a war or facing discrimination as a minority.
The thing is, I don’t know what depression is. I just perceive it in this way.