Dealing with my depression

The dark cloud creeps slowly into my mind without a slight hint of a storm.
The storm sneaks up like a burglar, without any notice.
And when it enters, it plays a game of pool with my thoughts, to have a little fun before ransacking my brain.

The pool ball doesn't know that any pocket will do. The burglar doesn't care. He wants to play around. He selfishly toys with my emotions for his own amusement.

And life gets darker in the process.

The slippery slope of depression affects one in three people. I don't know what causes it, just like I'm not 100% certain what causes happiness.

When I'm feeling stormy, I'm useless. I put on a mask and smile, while I cry inside.
Have you ever tried to work and cry at the same time?

I'm not much of an outside cryer, so admitting this is tough for me.

Expressing my feelings isn't easy to start with. Furthermore, the little voice inside me won't stop whispering negative thoughts. Each day that passes, the whisper gets louder, until it gets to a deafening scream.

I cope with my storm by turning off the thought thief's voice.  The only way I have figured out how to turn him off is by getting busy.  Getting busy isn't easy when I can't even find the motivation to have a shower.

In this funk, I secretly wish:
Someone would hold me.
Someone would praise me.

The darkness lifts after a few days.
The storm clouds disappear.
The skies clear with rays of sunshine pouring warmth into my life once again.
Life gets back to my normal while I clean up the debris the storm blew in.