That black dog!
That black dog!
This howl I have heard before,
It gains ground, my head becomes crowded,
How can I escape, how can I be free,
The beast draws near,
Sweat drips from my brow,
Always alone amongst friends,
How can I escape, how can I be free,
His breath on my neck,
Makes my skin crawl,
I am his target, his prey,
How can I escape, how can I be free,
Crowded thoughts, No space for joy,
No light enters it is only black now,
I open the bottle, I swallow my key,
I await my release.
You are not alone.
Many people are affected by depression, it is a truly debilitating condition. You are not the only one, many, many people have worn your shoes. You will never be as alone as you are when you are suffering with it. You can sit in a circle of friends, smile, laugh, all the while plotting your own demise. I have sat many times with the black dog bearing down on my soul. Thankfully, I am a survivor of myself. To know what I could have lost now breaks my heart. To not know the joy, the love of a great woman, the birth of my children, the warmth of true and unconditional love. To see their smile, their laugh even their pain and sorrow. This could have all been taken away by this dam black dog.
If you have a black dog prowling at your door, speak, reach out, silence is your worst enemy at this point. Take it from a person who wrote one of these letters, your pain is temporary. The darkness will lift, you will find joy, happiness. Please, don't use a permanent solution to a temporary problem.