I tell them it washes over me like a wave An inadvertent lie In truth It trickles Like an old tap into an empty bath Shallow ripples A familiar sound I choose to ignore And so, I drown
"This poem is about how I describe my depression to people. I find it frustrating trying to communicate how I feel to people who haven’t experienced it themselves. There’s still a huge stigma surrounding mental health and people tend to disregard depression as merely having the blues. The amount of times people have said 'Oh we all feel like that from time to time'
There’s a severe lack of understanding and often people seem to believe their opinion on mental health is enough to inform them. The only way we can break through the barriers of understanding is by educating people and speaking openly and sincerely, regardless of what format that comes in.
So I frequently find myself describing my depression as ‘coming in waves’. I caught myself saying it to someone and realised it wasn’t actually true, although it sometimes feels like it. My depression sneaks up on me. A seed is planted and gradually each day, my thoughts get darker and before I know it, I’m under water and can’t see a way out.
I’ve learnt how to identify the signs now and I’m very careful with my thoughts and understand the importance of understanding myself and taking action if I hear that trickle!"
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