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I have been there, and it's nothing like the triviality of the 'pity pot'. To me, feeling pity for yourself is still being able to see a way through to the other side of a problem...but just not wanting to be where you are at the time. True depression is when there IS no other side. It's everything you've always feared, coming to fruition all at once.

No one that's been there is alive to answer how far down it can go. True depression, in it's final stage is terminal. Also, I'm not familiar with the term "pity pot", but given that "pity" is part of it, I'll take a crack. There is no requirement for pity when just being down, or even really down progresses to true depression. In true depression, there is no concern for any acknowledgment from others in any way, only in relief from the painful anguish being experienced by the depressed, thus the absolute need for suicide, and the terminal nature of the disorder. This is why it's imperative to seek help while concepts such as pity still hold a degree of appeal to the person feeling depressed. Because, once it reaches later stages, the desire for the acknowledgment of others dissipates and seeking help is no longer on the agenda, nor is the continuance of existence.

It can take you to a very dark place where you don't even recognize yourself anymore. It's not the same as the pity pot - everyone goes thru that. Telling someone who is deeply depressed to just "snap out of it" is like telling someone with a broken leg to get up and walk. You have no interest in anything you usually enjoy, and nothing seems to make you feel better. It's a totally helpless feeling. Sometimes there are causes for it - reactive depression is when there is a death of someone close to you or an illness, etc. But there are times it overtakes you for seemingly no reason at all. You can't see any light at the end of the tunnel. I've dealt with it for many years and I can go a long time without an episode. But when it strikes it can be totally debilitating. Wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

Some people unfamiliar with, or dismissive of depression do think it's self-pity. [I've always loved that old one-liner: You Never See a Harley Parked Outside a Psychiatrist's Office.] But depression is a condition with no specific cause. It can and does happen regardless life events. Yes, I've been there. Research shows different findings, such as genetic causes, chemical imbalances, and misfirings in the synapses. It can be present in the most joyful events, yet for instance, after 9/11, prescribed anti-depressants rose five fold.

Depression, if not caught can cause one to sink 6 feet down. It's not the same as the pity pot, it's depth is only as deep as the seat of the throne...

Seems for some people it can go very far.

We heard about an old friend who lives in beautiful Hawaii who died last week from depression related issues.

He was a very talented person, maybe too smart for his own good.

He had been a drummer in a popular band in eastern Europe during the 60's and early 70's and left for the US.

He owned a very successful photo studio for years but somehow lost his contract for the L.A. school district which was one of his major sources.

He moved to Hawaii and tried a few small business enterprises but non took off.

The price for his house went down and he had loans against it.

His mom came to live with his family in HI and she recently died.

He started drinking and went into the hospital for alcohol treatment but died last week from a stroke at age 63.

I feel very sad to hear how much these events took him down, his only daughter is in college and his wife is alone now with all the bills and no income.

There's a difference between pity, normal depression(the kind we feel after a tragic event like the loss of a loved one) and clinical depression. Clinical depression is caused by a chemical imbalance and needs medication. Clinical depression can lead to suicide.

It's totally, unbelievably black. There are no words. There was a time in my life when I considered suicide several times a day. For years. The standard advice, of course, is to "seek professional help." Frankly, I'm not so sure that's always such a good idea. It works for some people. Not for others. My advice is: Have patience. Stick around. You'd be surprised at how much things can change.

At the risk of trivializing this with a silly pop song, here's Steely Dan back in the 70's.:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wEhLx-uGaE

i splash in the potty pot a time or two. but i had a small series of events send me to a spiral i had no idea i was sinking in. i can assure you a someone who snapped out of it and as a nurse who has taken care of the depressed, you can sink very low and it takes time to see if its metabolic or situatuional.

Been there.

Sitting staring out the window feeling as if the world is a miserable place to be.

It took many months of misery and torment after my mother had been murdered but in the end I realized I was slowly killing myself and pulled myself through.

The only advice I can give to anyone who is in a bout of depression is `YOU are the one who is doing this to yourself and the only one who can pull you through is YOU'.