I have a black dog, his name is depression Whenever this black dog appears, I feel empty and life slows down It always appears to me unannounced, the black dog makes me look like an old man, the whole world seems to be enjoying life, but I am stuck with the black dog, the things that used to give me pleasure, suddenly disappear. It makes me lose my appetite, it eats away at my memory and ability to focus attention Dragging this black dog, no matter where I go or what I do, requires superhuman strength. In social situations, it always finds my confidence and chases it away. My biggest fear is being known, I worry about being talked about. The black dog brings shame and humiliation, and I am always worried about being known, so I try very hard to hide it, and the life of hiding emotions is exhausting. Black dogs make my thinking and talking negative, black dogs make me irritable and hard to get along with. It takes away my love, buries my warmth, and loves nothing more than to wake me up in the middle of the night with only those negative thoughts in my mind, letting me know what a heartbreaking day I will face. Having a black dog in your life is more than just feeling a little down, sad or sorrowful, at the worst, all feeling is lost. Day by day I get older, day by day the black dog grows up, and he starts to not leave my side. I did everything I could to get rid of it. But it was often it that won, and it became easier to lie down than to get back up. I became an expert at prescribing medication to myself, but it never really worked. Eventually I felt like I had lost touch with the whole world. The black dog finally kidnapped my life, and when life is no longer the slightest bit happy, you start to question the meaning of life. Fortunately I began to seek professional help and this was my first step towards recovery and a turning point in my life. I learned that no matter who it was, countless people were being infested by this black dog and that anyone could be attacked by it. I also learned that there is no panacea, that drugs work for some people and that others need additional means. I also learned that expressing my true feelings to those close to me can have a critical healing effect. Most importantly, I learned to stop being afraid of the black dog and even played some tricks of my own on him. The more tired and stressed you are, the more aggressive it barks, so it’s important to learn to calm yourself down. Regular exercise has been clinically proven to be no worse than antidepressants for relieving mild or moderate depression, so go for a walk, go for a run, and leave this black dog behind. Keep an emotional journal, putting thoughts on paper is cathartic and often helps to see things clearly as well as record those things to be grateful for. The most important thing to remember is that no matter how bad the emotions get, if you go in the right direction and find the right people to talk to, the days of the black dog descending will surely pass. I wouldn’t say I’m thankful for the black dog, but he was the amazing teacher that forced me to reconnect with life and make it simple, and I realized that it’s better to run away from other than to embrace them. The black dog will probably always be a part of my life, but he is no longer the beast he once was, and we have reached a reconciliation. By learning knowledge, patience, restraint and humor, if you are in a difficult situation, you must not be afraid to ask for help, there is no shame in doing so, and missing out on life is the biggest regret of all.