Written by Karl Perera BA, MA, DipLC
Updated: May 31st, 2021

Depression Poems That Will Inspire You!

On this page, I have some inspirational poems about depression that may help you to overcome your lack of hope and any isolation you might feel because as this poetry shows, you are not alone in being depressed!

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I’ve suffered from depression in the past and was seriously depressed over at least two years or more so I know the pain that you can feel. I also have an appreciation of what can work. One thing I found worked for me was reading inspirational words and I really like the idea of reading poems for depression that really lift the spirits. I swear that these poems and these inspiring words helped me to get out of my depression, but is there any research that actually shows that depression poems can help you if you are depressed and how exactly this would work?

Depression poems can be therapeutic as they enable the writer to explore their feelings and experiences of depression. They can also be helpful to the reader as he or she can gain awareness and understanding through the perspective of a fellow sufferer.

The value of Depression Poems

Depression is a difficult state of mind to deal with, and can make you not want to be around people, or causes you to lose interest in every day activities. This leads to a cycle which often results in lower energy, more (or less) sleep, and even a worse appetite. Also, it can be hard to imagine that there are others just like you that are out there, but it is indeed a fact.  these depression poems are evidence of that.

One major value of depression poems is that they can help someone suffering to understand depression better (Gallardo et al. 2009).

Another value of poems about depression is that they can be therapeutic for the depressed person. Gallardo et al. (2009) mention that many find relief from being sad or depressed through experiencing their feelings in writing. Poems are a perfect way to express your feelings and gain understanding from the reader.

Palamthodi and Wilson (2020) discuss how D.H.Lawrence used poems to overcome the depression and grief he found after suffering from the effects of tuberculosis. For him, poetry was very therapeutic. It appears that he explored his innermost feelings and thoughts and Poetry enabled him to accept his fate and even generate hope in his darkest days. The images used in his poetry brought alive his hopes and desires to live beyond death and must have had a hugely positive effect on Lawrence.

McArdle and Byrt (2001) discuss how expressive writing and poetry can be used in therapy for mental health issues. Poems can also bring validation of their experiences from fellow patients and others reading them.

So, I think there is no doubt, though some may question it, that depression poems can have a positive effect on the writer and the reader too. This also agrees with my own experience. One word of caution though, depression can be very serious and comforting words can do so much and take you only so far. If you are suffering from deep depression, then do seek help and guidance by first vising a doctor and consider your next steps carefully.

According to Bolton (1999), poetry can lead to self-discovery and helps the writer to identify issues and feelings that need some reflection and thought. In this way, poetry also helps self-development. Bolton has done much research into the benefits of poetry as therapy, and claims that it is as effective as psychotherapy or other therapies such as art therapy (Bolton, 1998).

Bolton found that his research revealed how many patients could benefit from writing poetry. He concluded that poetry can be helpful for dealing with issues such as anxiety and depression, and so his research does back up other findings about the effectiveness of poetry to treat depression. One of his aims seems to be to have this kind of therapy accepted as medical practice but this still needs work.

So my message to you is to try writing a depression poem, you might find it helps to put your thoughts and experiences on paper. Reading others’ poems seems to be very helpful too, so we will take a look at some poetry on this page, keep reading!

Don’t suffer from depression on your own

Depression is … “a feeling or cluster of feelings that are part and parcel of being human.”

(Van Deurzen-Smith, 1997).

You don’t have to, and really shouldn’t suffer alone. But when you’re under the mercy of depression, one of the hardest things to do is to take that first step and reach out to others for guidance.

It can be comforting to know that many others suffer just like you, many millions of people worldwide are struggling with depression right now, so you are definitely not alone! Life is difficult and full of dangers and trauma so depression can strike any of us. If you are suffering from depression it is not abnormal, nor shameful. Admitting your problem is more than halfway to solving it!

The good news is that you’ve already taken the first step by visiting this website. You have already recognised and admitted that you are going through a hard time and that you need help – give yourself credit for that.

You can find all the information and tools you need to beat depression today on this site. Furthermore, if you’re feeling particularly down at this moment, these inspirational poems can help get you back on your feet and give you that extra push you need in order to break free of depression and live the life you really deserve. So, if these poems put a smile on your face or cause you to think positively for just a moment or two, then that in itself is already a step forward.

Inspirational Poem

Thinkstock

If you have any poems or inspirational words about depression, anxiety or stress which you like and would like to share with the rest of the world, contact me and I’ll feature some of my favourite ones here or in my newsletter!

“Invictus”

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.

Author: William Ernest Henley

“After the Rain”

Whatever your cross, whatever your pain
There will always be sunshine after the rain
Perhaps you may stumble, perhaps even fall
But God’s always ready to answer your call

He knows every heartache, sees every tear
A word from His lips can calm every fear
Your sorrows may linger throughout the night
But suddenly vanish at dawn’s early light

The Savior is waiting somewhere above
To give you His grace and send you His love
Whatever your cross, whatever your pain
God always sends rainbows after the rain

Author Unknown

Read more – how the Bible can help with depression

“Don’t Quit”

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road your trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and its turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When they might have won, had they stuck it out.
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victors cup;
And he learned too late when the night came down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when your hardest hit,
It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit!

Author Unknown

If you’re looking for further inspiration, then I highly recommend you read this article and Learn How to Believe In Yourself and Beat Depression. I hope these inspirational words can guide you to serenity on the path to beating depression.

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Low Self Esteem and Being Depressed

Another vital part of recovery from your depression or indeed from preventing it in the first place is to work on your self-esteem. This is simply, as I’m sure you realise, something you must do. How?

Depression Videos

I also suggest you check out these excellent Depression Videos for more help and inspiration! .

Now, here are some more words of inspiration to help you with your depression, anxiety and stress and to brighten your day!

“O Me! O Life!”

Oh me! Oh life! of the questions of these recurring,
Of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities fill’d with the foolish,
Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?)
Of eyes that vainly crave the light, of the objects mean, of the struggle ever renew’d,
Of the poor results of all, of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me,
Of the empty and useless years of the rest, with the rest me intertwined,
The question, O me! so sad, recurring—What good amid these, O me, O life?

  Answer.
That you are here—that life exists and identity,
That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.

Author: Walt Whitman

“The Rainy Day”

The day is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
The vine still clings to the mouldering wall,
But at every gust the dead leaves fall,
And the day is dark and dreary.My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
My thoughts still cling to the mouldering Past,
But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast,
And the days are dark and dreary.

Be still, sad heart! and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary.

Author: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

“Untitled”

There is freedom waiting for you,
On the breezes of the sky,
And you ask “What if I fall?”
Oh but my darling,
What if you fly?

Author: Eric Hanson

References

  • Bolton, G. (1998). Writing or Pills?. The Self on the Page: Theory and Practice of Creative Writing in Personal Development, 78.
  • Bolton, G. (1999). ‘Every poem breaks a silence that had to be overcome’*: The Therapeutic Power of Poetry Writing. Fem Rev 62, 118–133. https://doi.org/10.1080/014177899339225
  • Gallardo, H. L., Furman, R., & Kulkarni, S. (2009). Explorations of depression: Poetry and narrative in autoethnographic qualitative research. Qualitative Social Work8(3), 287-304.
  • Mcardle, S., & Byrt, R. (2001). Fiction, poetry and mental health: expressive and therapeutic uses of literature. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing8(6), 517-524.
  • Palamthodi, L. O., & Wilson, D. D. Artistic Creation Of A Soul In Depression: The Healing Power Of Poetry (Select Poems From DH Lawrence‟ s Last Poems). European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine7(08), 2020.

Website Author Bio

Karl Perera is a fully qualified Life Coach, Teacher and Author of Self Esteem Secrets. He has overcome severe depression and now helps others to do the same. His qualifications include Masters and DipLC. He has taught at various universities including Durham University, University of Leicester and Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge. He is a member of Mind. He founded Depression-Helper.com in 2001 and is an expert in Depression and Self Esteem.