Skip to content

Breakdown Quote by Andrew Solomon

“You are constantly told in depression that your judgment is compromised, but a part of depression is that it touches cognition. That you are having a breakdown does not mean that your life isn't a mess. If there are issues you have successfully skirted or avoided for years, they come cropping back…” quote by Andrew Solomon
Download Open image
““You are constantly told in depression that your judgment is compromised, but a part of depression is that it touches cognition. That you are having a breakdown does not mean that your life isn't a mess. If there are issues you have successfully skirted or avoided for years, they come cropping back up and stare you full in the face, and one aspect of depression is a deep knowledge that the comforting doctors who assure you that your judgment is bad are wrong. You are in touch with the real terribleness of your life. You can accept rationally that later, after the medication sets in, you will be better able to deal with the terribleness, but you will not be free of it. When you are depressed, the past and future are absorbed entirely by the present moment, as in the world of a three-year-old. You cannot remember a time when you felt better, at least not clearly; and you certainly cannot imagine a future time when you will feel better.””

Andrew Solomon

About This Quote

Source Book: The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression, 2015

Depression forces confronting harsh realities, blurring past/future, yet offers a clear, painful awareness of life’s messiness.

In simple terms: Depression shows life's messiness clearly.

Key Takeaway

Embrace the painful truth to navigate recovery.

Themes

mental health self-awareness reality acceptance

Mood

reflective somber

Type

analytical philosophical

When to use this quote

  • therapy sessions
  • personal reflection
  • support groups
  • medication management

Key Concepts

cognitive distortion present focus psychological insight

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can you use this stark awareness constructively?
  • What support helps you move beyond present‑only focus?
A Different Perspective

Depression may also impair decision‑making, limiting practical action.

3.7 out of 5 (4 ratings)

More by Andrew Solomon

Explore all 282 Andrew Solomon quotes

More Breakdown quotes

Browse all 385 Breakdown quotes