I just had a wonderful, short (but way too long) surge of severe depression (luckily it comes and goes, for now), memory basically non-functional and very slow, thinking consequently slow and hopefully due to the slow but steady improvements in dealing with depression, I kept my optimism and determination (though I was fearful of doing anything rash and dangerous, but just like any severe pain does).

It got me thinking: we all talk about our problems doing things and thinking certain things when depressed, but what does severe depression actually just feel like for you?

Not anything about behaviour, memory or thoughts, but just the feeling.

How would you describe it?

I would describe it as my whole body feeling acidic. Maybe every cell in my body mildly inflamed (though maybe hypersensitivity makes it feel like the effects of very serious inflammation, so not the pain but like a severe migraine without physical pain).

Since it's not clearly physical, I could maybe better describe it as inflammation of the soul.

It feels like an essential part of me is dead and I just drag it around. It feels like my body is burned out by fire and what remains is a lot of heat and smoke, clouding my mind.

It feels like a million little knifes making or having made cuts within my body. Like countless deep carvings on my soul that give a burning sensation.

Stuff like that.