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The Reality Of Depression Captured In A Single Picture

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Capturing a snapshot of depression doesn’t necessarily equate to mournful pictures of tears or sadness. Depression is, after all, a dark and complex creature that manifests itself in different ways in different people who suffer from it.

Look at the picture below for example. You might see a girl going through the same normal routine that most of us go through on a regular basis, but the truth is that the girl in the picture – Katelyn Marie Todd – isn’t going through a normal routine at all. She’s doing her best to overcome the depression that’s drained her of so much energy that she hadn’t even been able to brush her hair for the last four weeks.

“It was matted and twisted together,” she wrote on Facebook recently. “It snapped and tore with every stroke. I cried while I washed and conditioned it, because I forgot how it felt to run my fingers through it. I brushed my teeth, too, for the first time in a week. My gums bled. My water ran red. I cried over that, as well.” The picture soon went viral after she uploaded it to Facebook, and so far it’s been liked more than 165k times and shared by over 235k people, many of whom praised her for sharing her experience.

“Please be easy on your friends and family that have trouble getting up the energy to clean, hang out, or take care of themselves,” she wrote. “And please, please take them seriously if they talk to you about it. We’re trying. I swear we’re trying. See? I brushed my hair today.”

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More info: Facebook

Katelyn Marie Todd recently uploaded this picture to Facebook to highlight the struggles of depression

The Reality Of Depression Captured In A Single Picture

“I brushed my hair today,” she wrote. “For the first time in 4 weeks”

The Reality Of Depression Captured In A Single Picture

“Depression isn’t beautiful. Depression is bad hygiene, dirty dishes, and a sore body from sleeping too much”

The Reality Of Depression Captured In A Single Picture

“Please be easy on your friends and family that have trouble getting up the energy to clean or hang out”

The Reality Of Depression Captured In A Single Picture

Her post has since been liked by more than 165k people and shared over 235k times

The Reality Of Depression Captured In A Single Picture

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People were quick to voice their support, and many could relate to Katelyn’s experiences

The Reality Of Depression Captured In A Single Picture

The Reality Of Depression Captured In A Single Picture

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The Reality Of Depression Captured In A Single Picture

The Reality Of Depression Captured In A Single Picture

The Reality Of Depression Captured In A Single Picture

The Reality Of Depression Captured In A Single Picture

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Greta Jaruševičiūtė

Greta is a Photo Editor-in-Chief at Bored Panda with a BA in Communication.In 2016, she graduated from Digital Advertising courses where she had an opportunity to meet and learn from industry professionals. In the same year, she started working at Bored Panda as a photo editor.Greta is a coffeeholic and cannot survive a day without 5 cups of coffee... and her cute, big-eared dog.Her biggest open secret: she is a gamer with a giant gaming backlog.

Greta is a Photo Editor-in-Chief at Bored Panda with a BA in Communication.In 2016, she graduated from Digital Advertising courses where she had an opportunity to meet and learn from industry professionals. In the same year, she started working at Bored Panda as a photo editor.Greta is a coffeeholic and cannot survive a day without 5 cups of coffee... and her cute, big-eared dog.Her biggest open secret: she is a gamer with a giant gaming backlog.

What do you think ?

Talia Johnson 7 years ago

Anyone who has anything negative to say about depression sufferers should go and read Allie Brosh's pictoral story of depression on her blog Hyperbole and a Half. You can't really understand it unless you're in it - we should try our best not to judge others as our experiences are never theirs and vice versa. Kindness and understanding really are important.

23points

Mascha Claessens 7 years ago

I remember my best friend having a severe depression during her teenage years. Back then I didn't really understand what was 'wrong' with her, and thought she was just a difficult teenager (which was also hard to understand for me, because I was such an easy one). I never went from her side though, and we're still best friends, even though it was hard at times, she liked to push people away (she still does that occasionally, as she also has borderline pd). Now I DO understand how it is to have an invisible illness (I have Crohn's disease). The fatigue and tiredness at times, just getting out of bed or, indeed, taking a shower, is sometimes such a big step to make. It obviously isn't exactly the same, but when I first started experiencing these things, I really felt myself growing up real quick, and understand the importance of being understanding, kind, honest and loyal to each other, because those kind of people were/are there for me and I need to be there for them as well. :-)

10points

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Da_lazy_unicorn 7 years ago

Thank you for that. I have depression and it's not helping that people are laughing at me when I try to talk to them about it.

1point

Rambling Rapscallion 7 years ago

I strongly second that encouragement to read Allie's comic about depression. It's explains depression in an absolutely fantastic way and she manages to do it with humour. Part one: http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.dk/2011/10/adventures-in-depression.html Part two: http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.dk/2013/05/depression-part-two.html

1point

Louie Neira 7 years ago

I'm going through this. The more you suffer, the less people want to help. People tell me to just "be happy" and act like nothing's wrong, but I've come to think it's more for their benefit, not mine. Tell a person with depression to be happy is like telling someone with cancer to "get better soon."

14points

Anna Thouvenin 7 years ago

People are scared of what they can't control. So they just tend to avoid it so it doesn't scare them too much.

4points

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lazy panda 7 years ago

I've had guys tell me that they refuse to date me upon hearing I have depression. Why? They "don't want to put up with crazy for the rest of their lives." People either shame you and leave, or they give up and pretend like you're just going to kill yourself and let it happen.

3points

Juicy Pear 7 years ago

I hate when people say "Just be more positive! People care about you!". I'm just like "Wow, I've never thought of that:O". If people in my life care, they obviously aren't showing that they care

0points

Martha Gicharu 7 years ago

I am going through depression now and everyone thinks I'm just seeking attention... it really hurts

6points

Alvaro MoVi 7 years ago

Well maybe you do, is that a bad thing? I think not. But being fragile, or accept that you need emotional comfort and care it's like a disea

1point

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Talia Johnson 7 years ago

Anyone who has anything negative to say about depression sufferers should go and read Allie Brosh's pictoral story of depression on her blog Hyperbole and a Half. You can't really understand it unless you're in it - we should try our best not to judge others as our experiences are never theirs and vice versa. Kindness and understanding really are important.

23points

Mascha Claessens 7 years ago

I remember my best friend having a severe depression during her teenage years. Back then I didn't really understand what was 'wrong' with her, and thought she was just a difficult teenager (which was also hard to understand for me, because I was such an easy one). I never went from her side though, and we're still best friends, even though it was hard at times, she liked to push people away (she still does that occasionally, as she also has borderline pd). Now I DO understand how it is to have an invisible illness (I have Crohn's disease). The fatigue and tiredness at times, just getting out of bed or, indeed, taking a shower, is sometimes such a big step to make. It obviously isn't exactly the same, but when I first started experiencing these things, I really felt myself growing up real quick, and understand the importance of being understanding, kind, honest and loyal to each other, because those kind of people were/are there for me and I need to be there for them as well. :-)

10points

Load More Replies...

Da_lazy_unicorn 7 years ago

Thank you for that. I have depression and it's not helping that people are laughing at me when I try to talk to them about it.

1point

Rambling Rapscallion 7 years ago

I strongly second that encouragement to read Allie's comic about depression. It's explains depression in an absolutely fantastic way and she manages to do it with humour. Part one: http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.dk/2011/10/adventures-in-depression.html Part two: http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.dk/2013/05/depression-part-two.html

1point

Louie Neira 7 years ago

I'm going through this. The more you suffer, the less people want to help. People tell me to just "be happy" and act like nothing's wrong, but I've come to think it's more for their benefit, not mine. Tell a person with depression to be happy is like telling someone with cancer to "get better soon."

14points

Anna Thouvenin 7 years ago

People are scared of what they can't control. So they just tend to avoid it so it doesn't scare them too much.

4points

Load More Replies...

lazy panda 7 years ago

I've had guys tell me that they refuse to date me upon hearing I have depression. Why? They "don't want to put up with crazy for the rest of their lives." People either shame you and leave, or they give up and pretend like you're just going to kill yourself and let it happen.

3points

Juicy Pear 7 years ago

I hate when people say "Just be more positive! People care about you!". I'm just like "Wow, I've never thought of that:O". If people in my life care, they obviously aren't showing that they care

0points

Martha Gicharu 7 years ago

I am going through depression now and everyone thinks I'm just seeking attention... it really hurts

6points

Alvaro MoVi 7 years ago

Well maybe you do, is that a bad thing? I think not. But being fragile, or accept that you need emotional comfort and care it's like a disea

1point

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