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Finding depression quotes when you lack motivation can be an excellent way to put yourself on a better path. Depression is so insidious and it compounds all your thoughts leaving you feeling like you’re alone in this world, but these quotes can help you realize that depression is more common than you think, which can be comforting in and of itself.
What Is Depression?
Depression is a human emotion. We all have those days when we simply have a straightforward response to a bad day, this is called “bad situation depression.” However, the disorder we’re referring to is something much more serious.
Depression or major depressive disorder is a severe mental health disorder. When you struggle with clinical depression while still trying to be a functional member of society, you are in a frequent attempt to conceal mental struggles you face out of fear of making everything worse. However, your attempt to conceal mental pain increases the burden you carry with you daily, only making the pain worse.
It’s almost as if your tooth is aching, but you can’t go see a dentist, except in this case your pain is emotional, so people may not take you as seriously, because they feel as if emotional pain is less dramatic than physical pain.
it affects how you think, feel and have. If you’re dealing with depression, you may have a loss of interest in things that were once important or enjoyable to you.
You might also have feelings of sadness, impacting how you function at home, school, or work.
Depression symptoms can be mild, moderate, or severe and can vary depending on the type of depression. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, these depressive symptoms can include:
- Problems sleeping or sleeping too much
- Feeling sad
- Loss of interest in daily activities
- Withdrawal from social interaction and social activity
- Appetite changes can be a symptom of depression
- Fatigue and loss of energy
- Feeling guilty
- Having feelings of worthlessness
- Absence of emotion or a sense of emptiness
- Physical symptoms like pain or headaches
- Problems concentrating
- Thoughts of death or suicide
Celebrities Who Share Depression Quotes
We often look up to celebrities and public figures, seeing them as having it all. However, there’s no discrimination when it comes to depression or having a mood disorder.
Many celebrities are starting to talk about their depression openly, and that can help encourage other people to recognize what’s going on in their lives and get help potentially.
Demi Lovato
“I’ve seen some dark times, especially with the depressive phase of the illness,” said Lovato when discussing their bipolar diagnosis. “Bipolar depression really got my life off track,” they said when speaking about bouts of depression during the Jed Foundation’s Mental Health Listening & Engagement Tour.
“But today, I’m proud to say I’m living proof that someone can live, love, and be well with bipolar disorder when they get the education, support and treatment they need.”
We like that Lovato talks about symptoms but also how helpful, effective treatment of depression can be.
Kanye West
West has talked openly about his mental health struggles for many years, especially following the 2007 death of his mother, Donda West. West has bipolar disorder, and he was hospitalized in 2016 for manic depression and paranoia.
In 2019, during an interview with David Letterman, West talked more about bipolar disorder. He told Letterman why it’s so crucial for him to be consistent with taking his medication.
“If you don’t take medication every day to keep you at a certain state, you have a potential to ramp up,” he said. “It can take you to a point where you can even end up in the hospital.”
Michelle Obama
In 2020, Michelle Obama spoke to the world, saying that she was dealing with what she described as low-grade depression, stemming from things going on at the time, like the COVID-19 pandemic and political and racial divisions.
There’s a word for low-grade depression—dysthymia. The low-grade or persistent depressive disorder includes less intense symptoms than major depression but can still be disruptive to your life.
“I’m waking up in the middle of the night because I’m worried about something or there’s a heaviness,” said Obama. “I try to make sure I get a workout in, although there have been periods throughout this quarantine where I have just felt too low.”
Obama’s situation highlights the understanding that physical activity can help with symptoms of depression. Still, sometimes it can be hard to motivate yourself to do things that you know will be good for you even when you don’t have severe depression.
Taraji P. Henson
Golden Globe-winning actress Taraji P. Henson is a vocal advocate for de-stigmatizing mental illness, especially in black. She talks about the murder of her son’s father in 2003 and her own father’s death from cancer in 2006 and how those events still affect her.
She highlights that anxiety symptoms can often occur along with other mental health conditions, like anxiety disorders in her case.
Additionally, she noted that she experiences anxiety and depression. She created a foundation in 2018 focusing on mental health among African Americans.
“There are some times where I feel absolutely helpless,” Henson said, speaking about when depression hits in a Self magazine interview. “That’s human. Everybody feels like that. Just because I’m a black woman, don’t put that strong superhero thing on me.”
Justin Bieber
Bieber is one of the world’s most known and successful pop stars, but in recent years he’s been speaking out about the mental health struggles he faced and still faces after becoming a celebrity at 13-years-old.
“It’s hard to get out of bed in the morning when it feels like there’s trouble after trouble,” he said on Instagram.
“Sometimes, it can even get to the point where you don’t even want to live anymore. Where you feel like it’s never going to change.”
Bieber believes his religion and support from loved ones have helped him bounce back from many of the problems he faced. He highlights how important social support is and what role in depression it can play. Spending time with loved ones who have positive qualities is critical when you experience a mental health disorder like depression.
Prince Harry
Prince Harry has started opening up about his mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. In “The Me You Can’t See,” which Prince Harry and Oprah Winfrey co-produced, he says he won’t be bullied into silence.
“We have mental health in the same way that we all have physical health,” said Prince Harry. “It’s okay to have depression; to have anxiety; it’s okay to have an adjustment disorder.”
“I knew that if I didn’t do the therapy and fix myself that I was going to lose this woman who I could see spending the rest of my life with,” he said, talking about his relationship with Meghan Markle.
Motivational Depression Quotes
If you’re looking for how to get out of depression, motivation can be substantial. The following are some of our favorite motivational depression quotes and generally inspirational quotes.
- “There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t.”—John Green
- “Sometimes you climb out of bed in the morning, and you think, I’m not going to make it but you laugh inside, remember all the times you’ve felt that way.”—Charles Bukowski
- “You say you’re depressed. All I see is resilience. You’re allowed to feel messed up and inside out. It doesn’t mean you’re defective. It just means you’re human.”—David Mitchell
- “Character can not be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired and success achieved.”—Helen Keller
- “What you thought before has led to every choice you have made, and this adds up to you at this moment. If you want to change who you are physically, mentally, and spiritually, you will have to change what you think.”—Dr. Patrick Gentempo.
- “We are not to blame for our illness, but we are responsible for our health.”—Victoria Maxwell.
- “Maybe you have to know the darkness before you can appreciate the light.”—Madeleine L’Engle.
- “Getting better from depression demands a lifelong commitment. I’ve made that commitment for my life’s sake and for the sake of those who love me.”—Susan Polis Schutz.
- “A pearl is a beautiful thing that is produced by an injured life. It is the tear that results from the injury of the oyster. The treasure of our being in this world is also produced by an injured life. If we had not been wounded, if we had not been injured then we will not produce the pearl.”—Stephan Hoeller.
Final Thoughts
We hope that these depression quotes might provide some comfort to you at a time when you need it. A human being can survive almost anything as long as we can get help.
If you would like to learn more about addiction treatment and co-occurring treatment for a dual diagnosis like depression, please contact The Mental Health Center of San Diego team today at (858) 258-9883.
Treatment for depression is available, including behavioral therapy and medication to improve your brain chemistry. You don’t have to suffer alone.
