Better off dead Quote by Lily Burana
““Depression is a funhouse, with suicidal ideation the wavy, distorting mirrors that have you trapped and stumbling from corner to corner in that box on the midway. You don’t think clearly, and the first thing to disappear is your sense of worth. You believe you don’t matter. You believe you’d be better off dead. When someone dies by their own hand, those left behind spin in wonder: Didn’t they know how loved they were? How valued? How much of a smoking crater they left behind by dying? Well, no, they don’t. When you’re in the funhouse of depression, the opposite becomes true. A deep, pervasive sense of worthlessness seeps across everything like a spreading stain. You fixate on the burden of your incapacity, how messed up and heavy you are, and there’s no talking yourself out of it. You can’t pull yourself up by your bootstraps because you don’t have bootstraps. You don’t even have boots. You’re treading barefoot over broken glass, day after day, exhausted and sick of the pain. You can’t seem to get it right, and you imagine how things would go much better, people would do so much better, if you weren’t around to drag them down. You’d be doing everyone a favor, really. That’s how dangerous depression can be. Not only do you believe you’d be better off dead, but also that everyone else would be relieved by your absence. Good riddance to bad rubbish.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Merry-Go-Round of Mental Illness, Lily Burana, 2021
Depression creates a distorted reality where self‑worth collapses, leading to thoughts of being a burden and suicidal ideation.
In simple terms: Depression makes you feel worthless and trapped.
Recognize the distortion and seek help.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- therapy
- support groups
- crisis hotlines
- mindfulness practice
- peer support
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What evidence contradicts the belief that you are a burden?
- How can you safely share these thoughts with a trusted person?
Depression can also coexist with moments of clarity, making it hard to accept help.