--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If people could just understand how it…" description: "\"“If people could just understand how it actually felt to be depressed, obsessed, frightened, out of control, maybe they’d be more tolerant, more unders..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b44/victoria-leatham-45695_frightened_if-people-could-just-understand-how-it-a_400417.jpg" --- # If people could just understand how it actually felt to be… ![“If people could just understand how it actually felt to be depressed, obsessed, frightened, out of control, maybe they’d be more tolerant, more understanding.” quote by Victoria Leatham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b44/victoria-leatham-45695_frightened_if-people-could-just-understand-how-it-a_400417.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b44/victoria-leatham-45695_frightened_if-people-could-just-understand-how-it-a_400417.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b44/victoria-leatham-45695_frightened_if-people-could-just-understand-how-it-a_400417.jpg) > ““If people could just understand how it actually felt to be depressed, obsessed, frightened, out of control, maybe they’d be more tolerant, more understanding.”” [Victoria Leatham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-leatham/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understanding depression’s lived experience could foster empathy and reduce stigma. **In simple terms:** Knowing depression’s feelings may increase tolerance. Key Takeaway Cultivate empathy for mental illness. Themes empathy mental health stigma tolerance Mood compassionate reflective Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - therapy sessions - public education - workplace mental health policies - support groups Key Concepts psychology emotional insight social perception Questions to Reflect On - How can we translate empathy into concrete support? - What barriers prevent people from truly listening? A Different Perspective Empathy alone may not change systemic biases or resource gaps. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Felt Depressed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt-depressed-2138340/) [Frightened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frightened/) [Frightened Control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frightened-control-3591267/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Maybe Tolerant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maybe-tolerant-3591265/) [Obsessed Frightened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obsessed-frightened-3591266/) ## Related quotes > [“I was frightened of myself, I seemed to have no control over my thoughts and feelings, it was like a sort of madness...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-hill/i-was-frightened-of-myself-i-seemed-to-have-no-control-over-my/) [Susan Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-hill/) > […she felt depressed beyond any thing she had ever known before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/she-felt-depressed-beyond-any-thing-she-had-ever-known-before/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [“Edna felt depressed rather than soothed after leaving them. The little glimpse of domestic harmony which had been offered her, gave her no regret,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-chopin/edna-felt-depressed-rather-than-soothed-after-leaving-them-the-little/) [Kate Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-chopin/) > [I've felt depressed many times in my life, so I can draw on those times in my life when I need to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aubrey-plaza/i-ve-felt-depressed-many-times-in-my-life-so-i-can-draw-on-those/) [Aubrey Plaza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aubrey-plaza/) > [“She felt depressed beyond anything she had ever known before.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/she-felt-depressed-beyond-anything-she-had-ever-known-before/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [“Does it ever happen to you,' said Natasha to her brother when they had settled down in the sitting-room, 'does it ever happen to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/does-it-ever-happen-to-you-said-natasha-to-her-brother-when-they-had/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [The only thing I could think of was turkey neck and turkey gizzards and I felt very depressed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/the-only-thing-i-could-think-of-was-turkey-neck-and-turkey-gizzards/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [“The modern philosopher had told me again and again that I was in the right place, and I still felt depressed even in acquiescence.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/the-modern-philosopher-had-told-me-again-and-again-that-i-was-in-the/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“Curiously, he felt too depressed to cry. Too hurt. It felt as if she'd taken the part of him that cried.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/curiously-he-felt-too-depressed-to-cry-too-hurt-it-felt-as-if-she-d/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“But he wasn't crying. Curiously, he felt too depressed to cry. Too hurt. It felt as if she'd taken the part of him that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/but-he-wasn-t-crying-curiously-he-felt-too-depressed-to-cry-too-hurt/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I know,' said Erin, and described how she'd lately felt depressed in a new and scary way, which Paul also had felt lately and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tao-lin/i-know-said-erin-and-described-how-she-d-lately-felt-depressed-in-a/) [Tao Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tao-lin/) > [“I also remember it was Sunday night because that was the time I felt most depressed and vulnerable. Somehow have a moment to contemplate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-carolla/i-also-remember-it-was-sunday-night-because-that-was-the-time-i-felt/) [Adam Carolla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-carolla/) > [I've often felt depressed; everyone feels depressed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/i-ve-often-felt-depressed-everyone-feels-depressed/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“and I actually talked about God, the one who had abandoned me when I was very little, very frightened, and very hurt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alcoholics-anonymous/and-i-actually-talked-about-god-the-one-who-had-abandoned-me-when-i/) [Alcoholics Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alcoholics-anonymous/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) ## More by Victoria Leatham > [“Have you ever had a lyric from a really crappy song or advertising jingle get stuck in your head? Something that just won't go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-leatham/have-you-ever-had-a-lyric-from-a-really-crappy-song-or-advertising/) [Victoria Leatham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-leatham/) > [“I didn’t feel that I had any good qualities. Or rather, none were good enough. Nothing I did or said was good enough, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-leatham/i-didn-t-feel-that-i-had-any-good-qualities-or-rather-none-were-good/) [Victoria Leatham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-leatham/) > [“I had no idea that the simple act of running a sharp blade across my wrist would change everything so completely. I wasn’t after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-leatham/i-had-no-idea-that-the-simple-act-of-running-a-sharp-blade-across-my/) [Victoria Leatham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-leatham/) > [“For the first time in months, I felt together. Sharp. In hurting myself, I had at last found a way to release the pressure.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-leatham/for-the-first-time-in-months-i-felt-together-sharp-in-hurting-myself/) [Victoria Leatham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-leatham/) > [“Relief was what I was looking for that day, and I didn’t care how I got it. What I wanted - what I needed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-leatham/relief-was-what-i-was-looking-for-that-day-and-i-didn-t-care-how-i/) [Victoria Leatham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-leatham/) > [“Some days, it was enough just to know that I had a packet of blades in the house. They were a cold, very sharp,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-leatham/some-days-it-was-enough-just-to-know-that-i-had-a-packet-of-blades-in/) [Victoria Leatham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-leatham/) > [“An increasingly large part of me believed that this was it, this was my life and it wasn’t going to get better. The problem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-leatham/an-increasingly-large-part-of-me-believed-that-this-was-it-this-was/) [Victoria Leatham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-leatham/) > [“What I wanted was a simple response. I didn’t want to feel, that was too difficult. I wanted to hurt, I wanted real, tangible,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-leatham/what-i-wanted-was-a-simple-response-i-didn-t-want-to-feel-that-was/) [Victoria Leatham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-leatham/) [Explore all 9 Victoria Leatham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-leatham/) ## More Frightened quotes > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [“and I actually talked about God, the one who had abandoned me when I was very little, very frightened, and very hurt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alcoholics-anonymous/and-i-actually-talked-about-god-the-one-who-had-abandoned-me-when-i/) [Alcoholics Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alcoholics-anonymous/) > [I don't think kids have a problem with death. It's us older ones who are nearer to it, that start being frightened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helena-bonham-carter/i-don-t-think-kids-have-a-problem-with-death-it-s-us-older-ones-who/) [Helena Bonham Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helena-bonham-carter/) > [American imperialism has always been the imperialism that has been frightened of speaking its name. Now it's beginning to do so. In a way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ali/american-imperialism-has-always-been-the-imperialism-that-has-been/) [Tariq Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ali/) > [We all have prejudices to dispel: the need to get away from thinking that 'I' am important and special and 'you' are not, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingrid-newkirk/we-all-have-prejudices-to-dispel-the-need-to-get-away-from-thinking/) [Ingrid Newkirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingrid-newkirk/) > [“She had just started living like a grown-up and she'd never felt more vulnerable, frightened or confused in her life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/she-had-just-started-living-like-a-grown-up-and-she-d-never-felt-more/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [Megachurches. I can't be the only one frightened when our houses of worship sound like they could take on Godzilla.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/megachurches-i-can-t-be-the-only-one-frightened-when-our-houses-of/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) > [No one seems to have learned, or can remember, the magic words that calm people when they are frightened or threatened: "I'm sorry; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-tavris/no-one-seems-to-have-learned-or-can-remember-the-magic-words-that/) [Carol Tavris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-tavris/) > [Or why it is acceptable to train fast runners and high jumpers but not to breed them. I can think of some answers, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/or-why-it-is-acceptable-to-train-fast-runners-and-high-jumpers-but/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [I can't help it when people are frightened," says Merricat. "I always want to frighten them more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-jackson/i-can-t-help-it-when-people-are-frightened-says-merricat-i-always/) [Shirley Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-jackson/) > [Soothing touch, whether it be applied to a ruffled cat, a crying infant, or a frightened child, has a universally recognized power to ameliorate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deane-juhan/soothing-touch-whether-it-be-applied-to-a-ruffled-cat-a-crying-infant/) [Deane Juhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deane-juhan/) > [Sometimes I've been to a party where no one spoke to me for a whole evening. The men, frightened by their wives or sweeites...the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/sometimes-i-ve-been-to-a-party-where-no-one-spoke-to-me-for-a-whole/) [Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/) > [All your names I and my friend approve of or nearly all as to sense & expression, but I am frightened by their length…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-faraday/all-your-names-i-and-my-friend-approve-of-or-nearly-all-as-to-sense/) [Michael Faraday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-faraday/) > [I was hit by a car. I almost died. My show was taken away from me. I was frightened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-brennan/i-was-hit-by-a-car-i-almost-died-my-show-was-taken-away-from-me-i-was/) [Eileen Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-brennan/) > [“She was using the water as she had used the fruit earlier—to calm herself, to assure herself of the possibility of normality. Yet all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/she-was-using-the-water-as-she-had-used-the-fruit-earlier-to-calm/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) [Browse all 1,303 Frightened quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frightened/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If people could just understand how it actually felt to be depressed, obsessed, frightened, out of control, maybe they’d be more tolerant, more understanding.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Victoria Leatham" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-leatham/if-people-could-just-understand-how-it-actually-felt-to-be-depressed/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Frightened" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-leatham/if-people-could-just-understand-how-it-actually-felt-to-be-depressed/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b44/victoria-leatham-45695_frightened_if-people-could-just-understand-how-it-a_400417.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b44/victoria-leatham-45695_frightened_if-people-could-just-understand-how-it-a_400417.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b44/victoria-leatham-45695_frightened_if-people-could-just-understand-how-it-a_400417.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If people could just understand how it actually felt to be depressed, obsessed, frightened, out of control…” — Victoria Leatham", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Victoria Leatham", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-leatham/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“If people could just understand how...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-leatham/if-people-could-just-understand-how-it-actually-felt-to-be-depressed/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-leatham/if-people-could-just-understand-how-it-actually-felt-to-be-depressed/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```