The following entry is taken from thesearchforahappyreverie.wordpress.com

Living with a Black Dog: His name is Depression

1. People who’ve had a Black Dog in their lives often say that in retrospect, “the Dog” probably had been sniffing around for a long time. They just didn’t have the understanding and knowledge to give it a name. All they knew was that when he appeared, he could suck the joy out of life quicker than you could say “woof woof”.

4. While the rest of the world seems to be enjoying life, you can only see it through the Black Dog.

7. A Black Dog can seriously affect your memory and ability to concentrate.

8. Doing anything or going anywhere with him requires superhuman strength.

9. If your Black Dog follows you to a social occasion, there’s a good chance he will sniff out whatever confidence you have and chase it away.

16. There are different degrees of feeling when you have a Black Dog in your life. At one end of the scale you may feel sad, flat, teary, or blue, and at the other, you are devoid of feeling altogether, and life is overwhelmingly difficult.

11. If left unchecked, a Black Dog can become a serious problem. It gets bigger and likes to hang around all the time. Occasionally, you may find the energy to take him on and, hopefully, send him running.

12. but depending on the severity and size of your black dog, he may come out on top and getting up again will seem futile. It’s not unlike getting into the ring with a professional wrestler. If you don’t like getting hurt, it feels safest staying down. That can become a big problem, because you never get out of the ring.

18. You will quickly discover that there are many different breeds of Black Dog affecting millions of people from all walks of life. The Black Dog is an equal-opportunity mongrel.

22. A Black Dog feeds on stress and fatigue; the more stressed you get, the louder he barks. It’s important to learn how to rest properly and quiet your mind. Yoga, meditation, and being in nature can help shut out the dog.

23. A Black Dog is fat and lazy; he wants you to lie on your bed and feel sorry for yourself. He hates exercise, mostly because it makes you feel better. When you least feel like moving, that’s when you should move the most.

So go for a walk or run and leave the mutt behind.

25. The most important thing to remember is that no matter how bad it gets,
26. if you take the right steps, Black Dog days can and will pass.

27. No one would ever say he was grateful for having a Black Dog in his life. But a negative experience can often help you find a more positive one. Reevaluating and simplfying your life can only be beneficial. Learning to acknowledge and even embrace your problems can have surprisingly good outcomes.

28. It is possible that a Black Dog may always be a part of your life, but with patience, humor, knowledge and discipline, even the worst Black Dog can be made to heel.