If you’re going through a difficult time, you’re not alone. Depression and anxiety are common – so common, in fact, that millions of Americans are contending with these conditions right now. The Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA) estimates that over 40 million U.S. adults have a diagnosable anxiety disorder. They have also found that depression is the leading cause of disability in our country. These conditions are real, and their effects can be devastating. Today, we’d like to provide you with some comfort and encouragement in the form of depression and anxiety quotes.
Depression and Anxiety Quotes to Share with Loved Ones
Whether you’ve had depression for a few months or several years, you may have found that others don’t understand how you’re feeling. Anxiety works in the same way – friends and family may not empathize with you in stressful situations. Here are a few quotes to help your loved ones develop a deeper understanding of your emotions.
“Depression is like a heavy blanket. It covers all of me, and it’s hard to get up. But there’s comfort in it too. I know who I am when I’m under it.” – Unknown
“A human being can survive almost anything as long as she sees the end in sight. But depression is so insidious, and it compounds daily, that it’s impossible to ever see the end.” – Elizabeth Wurtzel, author of Prozac Nation
“Having anxiety and depression is like being scared and tired at the same time. It’s the fear of failure but no urge to be productive. It’s wanting friends but hating to socialize. It’s wanting to be alone but not wanting to be lonely. It’s caring about everything, then caring about nothing. It’s feeling everything at once, then feeling paralyzingly numb.” – Anonymous
“It’s my experience that people are a lot more sympathetic if they can see you hurting, and for the millionth time in my life I wish for measles or smallpox or some other easily understood disease just to make it easier on me and also on them.” – Jennifer Niven, author of All the Bright Places
Mental Health Quotes About Fighting the Stigma
Millions of people have mental health conditions, and they come from all walks of life. However, many do not seek treatment due to the negative social perceptions surrounding depression and anxiety. It’s important for us all to fight the stigma. Here are a few choice words on this subject.
“What I would tell kids going through anxiety, which I have and can relate to, is that you’re so normal. Everyone experiences a version of anxiety or worry in their lives, and maybe we go through it in a different or more intense way for longer periods of time, but there’s nothing wrong with you. To be a sensitive person that cares a lot, that takes things in in a deep way is actually part of what makes you amazing.” – Emma Stone, actress
“A child’s mental health is just as important as their physical health and deserves the same quality of support. No one would feel embarrassed about seeking help for a child if they broke their arm.” — Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge
“I felt plagued with a negative attitude and a sense that I was permanently in the shade. I’m normally such a bubbly, positive person, and all of a sudden, I stopped feeling like myself. Anyone can be affected, despite their level of success or their place on the food chain. In fact, there is a good chance you know someone who is struggling with it since nearly 20% of American adults face some form of mental illness in their lifetime. So why aren’t we talking about it?” — Kristen Bell, actress
“After every Olympics I think I fell into a major state of depression, and after 2012 that was probably the hardest fall for me. I didn’t want to be in the sport anymore…a year and a half, two years after that…I didn’t want to be alive anymore. I think people actually finally understand it’s real. People are talking about it and I think this is the only way that it can change.” — Michael Phelps, Olympic athlete
“Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary.” – Fred Rogers, host of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood
“What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candor, and more unashamed conversation.” – Glenn Close, actress
Picking Yourself Up: Inspiring Quotes
Even when things feel hopeless, there is always a path to recovery from depression and anxiety. Turn to this next set of quotes when you need motivation and inspiration to seek help, take care of yourself, and overcome your mental illness.
“Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact.” – William James, the father of American psychology
“When you’re born in a burning house, you think the whole world is on fire. But it’s not.” – Richard Kadrey, author of Aloha from Hell
“The moment you asked for forgiveness, God forgave you. Now do your part and leave the guilt behind.” – Anonymous
“If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath.” – Amit Ray, author of Om Chanting and Meditation
“You don’t have to control your thoughts. You just have to stop letting them control you.” – Dan Millman, author and lecturer
“There are far, far better things ahead than anything we leave behind.” – C.S. Lewis, author of The Chronicles of Narnia
Help for Depression and Anxiety
If you’re battling depression or anxiety, Hope by the Sea can help. We provide dual diagnosis treatment for clients who are dealing with both addiction and mental illness. Our treatment center offers a welcome retreat from the stressors of day-to-day life. Contact our admissions office to learn more. Hope Starts Here!
