Will This Nightmare Ever End?

One of the worst aspects of depression is the fear that it will never end. I often wrote of that fear in my diary.

25th March 1990 –
Will this nightmare ever end?

12th April ’90 –
What is this storm that rages within me?
Why won’t it abate, why won’t it subside?
It comes in like a storm, and devours me.
And it won’t go away. It’s near four months now.
Four months of doing nothing, just hiding, hiding, and waiting.

3rd July 1990 –
I just want to get on with my life.
Will I ever be me again?

20th July 90 -
I hate being so irritable and frustrated, so disturbed,
All day, every day.
And it never ends.
Oh Lord, where are You?
I feel like getting so angry with You.
I guess it all boils down to this: Is He trustworthy or not?
I know the answer is yes.
But why does He make me wait so long.

Yet at the same time, I had a faint hope that the nightmare would end one day, that there was light at the end of the tunnel.

15th May 90 –
But each day comes to an end eventually,
And so will this emotional turmoil.

18th May 90 –
How I long to be normal again,
As I believe this will all end one day.
The recovery will be slow, I think.
It needs to be, I couldn't cope with anything quick.
I'm beginning to see some hope for the future,
Which is good I guess.


One Saturday in 1990, when I was feeling very low, my mother said, “Don’t just sit around moping, you need to do something. Why don’t you go and do a painting, like you used to.”

I took her advice, sat down, and without any goal in mind, painted this painting. I guess it was a subconscious attempt to show how I was feeling, that I was stuck in a dark cave. High in the cave was a small opening through which I could see sunlight, which was mockingly beyond my reach. Yet when I showed the painting to my mother, she smiled and said, “See, there is light at the end of the tunnel. You will get out of this, you will recover.”

And she was right. I did get out of the hopeless, dark pit. I learnt how to cope with depression and live a fulfilling life while letting depression and its symptoms churn away in the background like background music - background music that slowly faded away over time as I slowly healed. And I eventually recovered from depression competely.

The purpose of this post is just to encourage anyone stuck in the miry pit of depression that there is light at the end of the tunnel, the nightmare does end.

However, we must not wait passively for this to happen. Depression is an illness, and like any other illness, needs to be treated. So we need to seek sound medical advice and seriously consider taking medication if recommended, see a Christian therapist or counsellor on a regular basis so that the underlying issues that causes the depression can be treated.

We also need to understand the fear-adrenalin-fear cycle and learn the steps we can take to break that cycle.
the fear-adrenalin-fear cycle
breaking the cycle

And of course, we need to be patient and give our exhausted nervous system and mind the time they need to heal.

Most of all, we need to place unwavering trust in God, recognising that He is with us and is in control, instead of letting our hearts be troubled. We need to rely upon Christ’s strength in our weakness, rather than stagger along with what little remains of our own strength.

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 1 Peter 5:10

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

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All verses from the NIV.