Artist praised after showing reality of ‘living with depression’

Mental health is something that’s still not understood by many who don’t experience debilitating issues, and one woman has worked to change that.

Anxiety, depression, feelings of numbness, or a general low mood are all things that four in 100 people in the UK experience, as per Mind.

And despite what some people might tell you, running a warm bath, having a cuppa and going on a long walk simply cannot cure these ailments for a lot of people. It’s a constant thing in the back of the mind, souring our experiences and pulling people down to the depths of a place that feels impossible to escape from.

If you haven’t struggled with depression, it’s likely you find it hard to imagine what it’s like living with it.

Thankfully, Tanya Galakhova, an actor, created a stunning visual representation of what it means to be depressed. The viral video has been praised for her honest portrayal of the experience after sharing the clip to Instagram. Already, over 1.2 million people have viewed it and loved it.

In the video, Galakhova personifies depression as a person wearing a black, faceless, suit. Not only does it take her through everyday actions, like eating or brushing her teeth, but it also shows how she carries it on her back everywhere she goes.

Even when visiting a theme park- something that’s typically enjoyable- the dark figure places dark sunglasses on her face, turning her vision monochromatic.

When her partner attempts to cuddle, her depression kicks him away.

She captioned the clip with: “Depression exists! If you recognize yourself, you're not imagining things.”

It’s such a brilliantly thought-out video that others in the comments immediately expressed just how well she represented depression in everyday life.

One person shared: “You explained how depression feels very well.”

Another wrote: “The gray glasses are so real for me. After my brother passed the world literally became more dull and lifeless. All colors were muted. He passed in the spring and all the bright flowers were suddenly drab.”

Depression is a mental health condition that affects people of all ages and is more than feeling ‘depressive’ for a few days.

Depression is categorised as a condition that makes the person feel low for weeks, months, or even years.

According to the NHS, if you feel persistently down, hopeless, emotional, no longer enjoy things that once made you happy- you could be depressed.

While things like bereavement, a divorce, or even giving birth can set off depression, sometimes, it just happens.

Usually, a GP will prescribe a treatment plan which could include a talk therapy, or an antidepressant.

If you feel low, and need someone to talk to, visit your GP to go over your symptoms.

If you're experiencing distressing thoughts and feelings, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is there to support you. They're open from 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year. Their national number is 0800 58 58 58 and they also have a webchat service if you're not comfortable talking on the phone.