My depression has been steadily getting better. It is crumbling now and so many pebbles, rocks and boulders are falling loose. None of it was chemical - it was all hurt, regret, failure and frustration.

The depression feels isolated now, almost like I have the luxury to indulge it. I still sleep 12 hours a night and getting out of bed is still the most burdensome task of the entire day, but at least the pain is no longer completely overwhelming.

A song that matches the mood of my depression is Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt", but when I listen to it I feel like a teenage goth kid - "let me cut myself so I can feel!"

One of the most poignant songs is Pink Floyd's "High Hopes". That song is one of the few that chokes me up every time. I think of the video for that song, particularly when an old man and an old woman are sleepwalking backwards across an open field. They bump into each other from behind, turn around, act as if they have not seen each other in years and hug. That part always gets me.

If that doesn't describe the human condition, what does?