Confidence Quote by Kay Redfield Jamison
““Depression is awful beyond words or sounds or images...it bleeds relationships through suspicion, lack of confidence and self-respect, the inability to enjoy life, to walk or talk or think normally, the exhaustion, the night terrors, the day terrors. There is nothing good to be said for it except that it gives you the experience of how it must be to be old, to be old and sick, to be dying; to be slow of mind; to be lacking in grace, polish and coordination; to be ugly; to have no belief in the possibilities of life, the pleasures of sex, the exquisiteness of music or the ability to make yourself and others laugh.””
About This Quote
Depression overwhelms mental and physical health, eroding relationships and joy, yet offers a stark perspective on aging and vulnerability.
In simple terms: Depression destroys life but shows aging’s harshness.
Key Takeaway
Seek help; recognize its depth.
Themes
mental health
despair
aging
Mood
somber
empathetic
Type
psychological
philosophical
When to use this quote
- therapy
- support groups
- self‑care
- creative expression
Key Concepts
psychology
existential suffering
Questions to Reflect On
- What does this view reveal about resilience?
- How can we balance pain with hope?
A Different Perspective
May romanticize suffering; not all experience same symptoms.
![“...even though [my psychiatrist] understood mor than anyone how much I felt I was losing--in energy, vivacity, and originality--by taking medication, he never was seduced into losing sight of the overall perspective of how costly, damaging, and life threatening my illness was. He was at ease with…” quote by Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/57f/kay-redfield-jamison-1826_life_even-though-my-psychiatrist-understood-m_3399.jpg)
