When Depression Steals Your Joy: How to Recognize the Signs and Reclaim Your Life

What does it mean to feel “homesick” for yourself before depression? In this episode of Giving Voice to Depression, Savannah Wall joins us to share her deeply personal story of living with depression—describing the emptiness, weight, and longing for the person she once was.

Through candid reflections, Savannah explains how depression can leave you feeling disconnected from loved ones and even from yourself, and why superficial fixes like candles or trendy self-care routines often fall short. She also shares how the support of her husband and access to therapy and treatment became the turning point in her recovery.

This conversation explores the power of naming and articulating depression, the dangers of hiding it, and the importance of reaching out for help. If you’ve ever felt far away from yourself, or like you’re waiting for something that never seems to come, this episode will remind you that recovery is possible—and that you don’t have to go through it alone.

Primary Topics Covered:

• The concept of being “homesick” for your pre-depression self
• The physical and emotional weight of depression
• Why self-care trends often don’t solve deep depressive struggles
• Hiding symptoms vs. admitting to depression
• The role of shame, stigma, and feeling like a burden
• How Savannah sought help and found recovery
• The importance of supportive loved ones in noticing and acting on warning signs
• Building a depression “toolkit” to manage symptoms
• Writing reminders to yourself as a way to counter depression’s lies

Episode Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction to the episode and co-hosts
 01:00 - The idea of being “homesick” for your pre-depression self
 02:30 - Savannah describes the emptiness and heaviness of depression
 04:00 - Why self-care trends don’t always help in deep depression
 06:00 - Hiding depression symptoms behind excuses and shame
 07:40 - The tension between gratitude and hopelessness
 09:20 - Feeling disconnected from loved ones and from self
 10:30 - Savannah’s breaking point and her husband’s role in encouraging treatment
 11:00 - Seeking therapy, medical support, and the slow return of hope
 12:00 - Recognizing missed warning signs of depression
 13:00 - Building a “toolkit” for managing symptoms
 13:40 - The value of writing affirmations to yourself for future depressive episodes
 14:30 - The risks of holding depression in and the importance of sharing
 16:00 - How loved ones can recognize changes and offer support
 17:20 - Closing reflections and quotes on depression and recovery
 18:30 - Outro and resources

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