Believe Quote by Jonathan Franzen
“Depression, when it's clinical, is not a metaphor. It runs in families, and it's known to respond to medication and to counseling. However truly you believe there's a sickness to existence that can never be cured, if you're depressed you will sooner or later surrender and say: I just don't want to feel bad anymore. The shift from depressive realism to tragic realism, from being immobilized by darkness to being sustained by it, thus strangely seems to require believing in the possibility of a cure...”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Public discourse on mental health, 2020
Clinical depression is a real illness, not a metaphor; acknowledging its seriousness can lead to seeking treatment and hope for recovery.
In simple terms: Depression is a medical condition needing help, not just a feeling.
Key Takeaway
Seek help and believe in possible recovery.
Themes
mental health
stigma
hope
Mood
empathetic
hopeful
Type
personal
informative
When to use this quote
- personal crisis
- family history
- medical treatment
Key Concepts
psychology
family genetics
therapy
Questions to Reflect On
- How can society better support those with depression?
- What steps can individuals take toward healing?
A Different Perspective
Recovery can be slow and uncertain.
![“…depressive realism. Depression is not the near death experience described by so many, [Kayla Dunn] suggests, but a rebirth in which the new psyche has removed self-delusion. Compared with so-called healthy individuals, depressives are more realistic in their worldview.” quote by Jan Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/aca/jan-wong-58584_cognition_depressive-realism-depression-is-not-the_673516.jpg)
