Much of the world's most beautiful music, poetry, literature and art have been shaped by the passionate joys and despairs of their creators. Sometimes the most turbulent and emotional struggles in life are poignantly conveyed in allusions to well-known stories.
Damocles
Greek legend tells of a man named Damocles, who was a courtier to the despotic King Dionysius. When Damocles praised and admired the King's great fortune in life, Dionysius invited him to exchange places with him for a day. During a lavish banquet, Damocles discovered that a sword hung over his head suspended by a single hair. Only then did he understand the anxious dread which a King truly feels.
Depression
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, what distinguishes clinical depression from ordinary feelings of sadness is the extent to which sad feelings disrupt a person's healthy functioning and daily life, and cause pain to the sufferer and those who relate to her or him.
Depression is a very real and potentially serious illness with which people struggle sometimes for life. Coping with depression can be a daunting challenge.
Damoclean Swords of Depression
Whoever coined the phrase "Damoclean Swords of Depression" chose a wise and appropriate allusion. Just as Damocles felt peril upon noticing that a sword had been hung precariously over his head, people coping with depression may feel an ever-present sense of dread at the possibility of experiencing symptoms.
