In this brief guide, we will look at 7 most devastating depression monologues.
Depression Monologue 1
The first depression monologue we are looking at is by a character M, in the play Misplaced, where the character talks about the sensations she gets that describe depression well
“I listen inside myself to the hum…this humming sound, between my ears, deep within my brain somewhere…when I listen to it, when I pay attention to it, everything goes into slow motion. My concentration intensifies and the humming gets worse; worse in the sense that, there’s a danger that starts bubbling up in the pit of my stomach and then a vibration echoes through me, through the rest of my body…I start to get mixed in my brain; panicky, worrisome; a tunnel I’m trapped inside of or a drowning kind of sensation but more like an emotional drowning, not so much physical…
It can last for hours and hours…one time it even lasted for days and even when I regained my sense of self, it took me time to feel like me again. I don’t know what you call this…maybe I’m losing my mind and it frightens me to be honest…I’ve never uttered a word to this before to anyone I know…thank you for hearing me out.”
Depression Monologue 2
This second depression monologue is something many people suffering from depression monologue might relate to, and it is from Sylvia Plath’s work, the bell Jar, where she talks about depression in the form of Esther Greenwood, whom many people believe to be an alter ego for Plath.
This monologue about depression shows very distinctly how hard someone with this mental illness might find the process of choosing what works for them, and how hard they may struggle with life decisions.
“I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story. From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked. One fig was a husband and a happy home and children, and another fig was a famous poet and another fig was a brilliant professor, and another fig was Ee Gee, the amazing editor, and another fig was Europe and Africa and South America, and another fig was Constantin and Socrates and Attila and a pack of other lovers with unusual names and offbeat professions, and another fig was an Olympic lady crew champion, and beyond and above these figs were many more figs I couldn’t quite make out. I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn’t make up my mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest, and, as I sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet.”
What is also even more devastating about this depression monologue is that it speaks closely to the reader, given that Sylvia Plath suffered from depression herself, and it was often evident in her writing.
Depression Monologue 3
This depression monologue is from a play called The Darkness, and it describes well how someone with depression might feel about being lost in their negative thoughts.
“I wish I was scared of the dark. I mean most people are, but I always find comfort sitting in it. Get home, shower, lay in bed. Don’t turn the lights on. My daily routine. Sit in the dark and listen to music. A vampire. That’s what my mom calls me. It’s not that I don’t like the light, you just think differently in the dark. You find comfort in it like a big black blanket wrapped around you.
You just let go not knowing what could happen. Your mind travels to so many places and everything’s fine. Until you realize you’re alone. The feeling of loneliness hits you. You have no one to talk to. Everyone’s asleep. You’ve thought so much that the big black blanket is now suffocating you. So, tell me is the darkness safe or dangerous?”
Depression Monologue 4
This Depression Monologue is from a play by D. M. Larson called The Bullied, Bungled and Botched, and the character Jamie in the play talks about his struggle with depression and depressive thoughts.
“Yes, you’re right. I have to toughen up… there’s always someone who has it worse than me. Sorry I am so depressed all the time… sorry I bring you down. I don’t mean to ruin your day… Or your life. I’d love to stop being depressed. I wish I could look on the bright side and turn that frown upside down. I wish it were that easy.
You think it’s my fault, don’t you? You think it’s all in my head. Yes, we all have this problem, don’t we? We all get a little blue sometimes. I get very blue all the time. I’m so blue I’m purple. Don’t tell me you understand… you don’t understand!
Do you really know how this feels? Do you really know how this grips me inside and threatens to rip me apart? Do you know the weight that holds me down, a weight so powerful I can hardly move?
Yes, I’m using this to punish you. I am angry at you, so I’m acting this way to hurt you… I need to stop feeling sorry for myself… Me, me, me… yes, it’s all about me… I want you all to drop everything and focus on me! I’m sorry I even came out of my room.
Oh, yeah… a nice cup of tea will instantly cure me – maybe if you put some strychnine in it. I wish I could just snap out of it… like it was some kind of spell a witch cast on me. I’m waiting for some prince to come along and kiss my tears away.
Don’t worry. I won’t say anything anymore. I didn’t want to bring it up. I didn’t want to talk about it anyway…
I bet you’re sorry you asked how I was doing. How am I doing anyway? I’m hurting so bad. I wish there was something that would take away the pain. I can’t handle this much longer.
All I want to know is that I’m not alone… that I’m important to someone. Maybe I want a hug sometimes. Maybe I want someone to tell me I’m not going crazy, that it is not really my fault.
I need to know I didn’t do this to myself and that I’m not the cause of this horrible thing that’s happening to me. I want someone to be here for me and help me through this. I need someone stronger than me… I’m so weak. I need someone who is strong enough for both of us.
I need to know you’ll be there for me… I need to know you’ll never give up on me. That you’ll never leave me. That you’ll never go away. And I need someone to help me not give up on myself. I want to know that I’m important. That I matter. That I’m loved. Tell me that things will get better. It helps to have someone to talk to… it helps to say something… thank you for listening… thank you for not leaving me alone anymore.”
Depression Monologue 5
This is another depression monologue by D. M. Larson, but this one is in the form of a poetic format, which makes it more lyrical than the one from the play.
“Watching the world from above, floating above the clouds
Billions of voices are merely whispers now
Everything is so small, problems too far away to see
Peaceful and silent in the nothingness of space
Spinning, spinning, lost in the clouds
The details of life, forgotten and turning away
Turning a blind eye to the worries of the world
Floating calmly above the storm.”
Depression Monologue 6
The 6th depression monologue on this list is also one by D.M. Larson, and this is from a play called Wasteland, where he describes the helplessness of being in a situation where escape feels impossible.
“We live in a world where lies keep us quiet. Lies comfort us and allow us to go about our lives without worry. Why worry when we know nothing of the truth? Every wish is granted and this manufactured reality protects us from the unknown.
Don’t meddle in things you don’t understand. Be thankful for what you have. Don’t let whispers of the outside world cloud your judgement. It’s a wasteland outside these walls. These walls protect us and keep us safe. Our leaders watch over us. Always watching.
They know everything about us: our every need, our every desire, our fears, our thoughts. They know us better than we know ourselves. Don’t bother with fantasies of what was and what could be. That’s not important anymore. What’s important is that we have each other and we have everything we need to live. We don’t need anything else.”
Depression Monologue 7
The last depression monologue on the list is one about coming out and the difficulty in not being able to be oneself, which is something that a lot of people who feel different from people around them might experience.
“JOHAN: I didn’t set out to be this way. I tried for so long to run away from myself. I’ve run all my life. Every day I’m haunted with the fact that I’m living a lie and I don’t want to hide anymore, I don’t want to hide from you, from dad…I don’t want to be this way but I have to be this way…there is no other way for me. I’ve tried everything else. This is me, Mom. I never wanted to hurt you or let you down or be less than the son you’ve always wanted. I know I’m probably not the son you’ve wanted and I’m sorry for that. I just want to be accepted for who I truly am, not for who everyone thinks I am. I just want you to know how I feel inside about this and how hard it’s been for me all these years…I’m not trying to hurt you and dad…I only want your acceptance.”
Conclusion
In this brief guide, we looked at 7 most devastating depression monologues.
Depression is a very difficult mental illness to live with and it can get extremely hard to get through it without adequate help, which means that one needs to depend on whatever they can.
If you need any depression monologues for school or college or you want something to read about just so you can find some solace in dark times, you may refer to any of the ones we provided above.
If you’re facing this, it may be a good idea to seek the help of a therapist or other mental health professional. You can find a therapist at BetterHelp who can help you learn how to cope and address it.
If you have any questions or comments about depression monologues, please feel free to reach out to us any time.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Depression Monologues
What is the main cause of depression among the youth?
The main cause of depression among the youth may be academic or social pressures, or bullying.
The incidence of depression in the youth population may also be caused by the presence of high pressure situations in their lives that can lead to some very difficult situations.
What age group has the highest rate of depression?
The age group with the highest rate of depression is adults, especially adult females, and the prevalence of depression in this age group is around 8.7%.
How can I help my mentally ill teenager?
Here are some ways in which you can help your mentally ill teenager:
Watch out for warning signs or signs that their mental health is getting worse
Educate yourself about mental illnesses.
Talk openly with them about mental illness.
Have a conversation about drug use
Be aware of what they might be experiencing at school.
Citations
https://www.redargentina.com/monologues-about-depression/
https://monologueblogger.com/tag/depression-monologues-fo
https://freedramaplays.blogspot.com/2013/06/monologues-on-depression.html