One thing I have noticed about my depression is that when it is especially severe, it has much the same effect on me as a nightmare would. I break into a sweat, have trouble breathing, and above all, want nothing more than to just PURGE the bad thoughts from my head. I hit my head sometimes, as if I could physically remove the obsession with the negative. In many ways, life becomes a giant nightmare, one that can't be stopped by simply waking up. Just as nightmares can cause extreme irrational terror, I get the feeling that I am trapped in some kind of horror movie and that my brain is locked in perpetual silent scream. Sometimes, when I'm alone, the screams aren't so silent. It probably doesn't make any sense to those of you who haven't suffered from depression, but sometimes life and truth can feel like needles injected right into my brain.