100 Depression Quotes to Bring Comfort, Understanding, and Hope
- The Finest List Maker
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read

Depression is a complex and deeply personal experience. Whether you’re seeking comfort, understanding, or a way to express feelings that are hard to put into words, quotes about depression can offer insight and solidarity. They remind us that we are not alone and that there is always hope, even in the darkest moments.
This collection of 100 depression quotes includes words of empathy, encouragement, and reflection from thinkers, writers, and survivors.
Table of Contents
Famous Depression Quotes
Short Depression Quotes
Inspirational Depression Quotes
Depression Quotes About Hope
Depression Quotes About Loneliness
Depression Quotes About Healing
Deep Depression Quotes
Depression Quotes About Strength
Depression Quotes from Literature and Movies
Depression Quotes About Understanding
How to Use Depression Quotes in Your Life
Frequently Asked Questions
Best 100 Depression Quotes
1. Famous Depression Quotes
“I am bent, but not broken.” — Unknown
“The sun stopped shining for me, that’s all. The whole story is: I am sad.” — Leo Tolstoy
“Depression is the most unpleasant thing I have ever experienced.” — Stephen Fry
“Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also more hard to bear.” — C.S. Lewis
“Even for me life had its gleams of sunshine.” — Charlotte Brontë
“The only thing more exhausting than being depressed is pretending that you’re not.” — Unknown
“People think depression is sadness. People think depression is crying. People think depression is dressing in black. But people are wrong. Depression is the constant feeling of being numb.” — Unknown
“Depression is being colorblind and constantly told how colorful the world is.” — Atticus
“I’m tired of fighting. I want to be allowed to give up.” — Unknown
“Depression lies.” — Unknown
2. Short Depression Quotes
“It’s okay to not be okay.”
“You are not alone.”
“Feelings are not facts.”
“This too shall pass.”
“It’s a bad day, not a bad life.”
“Hold on.”
“Breathe.”
“Healing takes time.”
“Your story isn’t over.”
“You matter.”
3. Inspirational Depression Quotes
“Rocks in my path? I keep them all. With them, I shall build my castle.” — Nemo Nox
“You don’t have to control your thoughts. You just have to stop letting them control you.” — Dan Millman
“The bravest thing I ever did was continuing my life when I wanted to die.” — Juliette Lewis
“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls.” — Khalil Gibran
“When you’re going through hell, keep going.” — Winston Churchill
“Your present circumstances don’t determine where you go; they merely determine where you start.” — Nido Qubein
“Never give up on someone with a mental illness. When ‘I’ is replaced by ‘we,’ illness becomes wellness.” — Shannon L. Alder
“No storm, not even the one in your life, can last forever.” — Iyanla Vanzant
“The darkest nights produce the brightest stars.” — Unknown
“You are stronger than you think.” — Unknown
4. Depression Quotes About Hope
“Hope is the only thing stronger than fear.” — Suzanne Collins
“Even the darkest night will end, and the sun will rise.” — Victor Hugo
“When the heart is heavy, let hope anchor the soul.”
“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” — Desmond Tutu
“Every day begins with an act of courage and hope: getting out of bed.” — Mason Cooley
“Let your hopes, not your hurts, shape your future.” — Robert H. Schuller
“Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul.” — Emily Dickinson
“Hang on. Better days are coming.” — Unknown
“Hope is a powerful healer.”
“Hope never abandons you. You abandon it.” — George Weinberg
5. Depression Quotes About Loneliness
“The worst kind of loneliness is the loneliness you feel when you’re surrounded by people.” — Unknown
“I am lonely, yet not alone.” — H.G. Wells
“Sometimes I just want to disappear and see if anyone would notice.” — Unknown
“The soul that sees beauty may sometimes walk alone.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
“Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty.” — Mother Teresa
“It’s so lonely when you don’t even know yourself.” — Unknown
“Being alone has a power that very few can handle.” — Steven Aitchison
“Loneliness expresses the pain of being alone, while solitude expresses the glory of being alone.” — Paul Tillich
“Sometimes the person who tries to keep everyone happy is the most lonely.” — Unknown
“The eternal quest of the human being is to shatter his loneliness.” — Norman Cousins
6. Depression Quotes About Healing
“Healing takes courage, and we all have courage, even if we have to dig a little to find it.” — Tori Amos
“Healing is not linear.” — Unknown
“Sometimes you have to just sit and cry before you can heal.”
“Healing doesn’t mean the damage never existed. It means the damage no longer controls our lives.” — Unknown
“Scars remind us of where we’ve been. They don’t have to dictate where we’re going.” — David Rossi
“Give yourself the same care and attention that you give to others.” — Unknown
“There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” — Leonard Cohen
“Healing begins with feeling.”
“Be gentle with yourself. You’re doing the best you can.”
“Your healing matters.”
7. Deep Depression Quotes
“I wish I could explain to people that depression is not sadness.”
“My demons are invisible to the world, but they never stop tormenting me.”
“I smile to hide the tears.”
“The hardest thing about depression is that it’s addictive. It begins to feel comfortable.” — Unknown
“Sometimes I’m sad and don’t know why.”
“Depression is living in a body that fights to survive with a mind that wants to die.” — Unknown
“The greatest griefs are those we cause ourselves.” — Sophocles
“You feel like a cloud blocking your own sunshine.”
“I’ve forgotten how to feel normal.”
“It’s hard to be a diamond in a world that feels like dust.”
8. Depression Quotes About Strength
“You have been assigned this mountain to show others it can be moved.” — Unknown
“I survived because the fire inside me burned brighter than the fire around me.” — Joshua Graham
“Strength grows in the moments when you think you can’t go on but you keep going anyway.”
“Sometimes strength comes from simply showing up.”
“You are stronger than your struggle.” — Unknown
“Fall seven times, stand up eight.” — Japanese Proverb
“Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.” — J.K. Rowling
“The strongest people are those who win battles we know nothing about.” — Unknown
“Courage doesn’t always roar.” — Mary Anne Radmacher
“One day you will tell your story and it will be someone else’s survival guide.”
9. Depression Quotes from Literature and Movies
“I am haunted by humans.” — Markus Zusak, The Book Thief
“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” — Oscar Wilde
“I’m not afraid of death; I’m afraid of not trying.” — Jay-Z
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” — Maya Angelou
“Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if one only remembers to turn on the light.” — J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter
“You have been in the dark too long.” — The Perks of Being a Wallflower
“Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win.” — Stephen King
“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.” — J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter
“After all this time? Always.” — J.K. Rowling
“We accept the love we think we deserve.” — Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower
10. Depression Quotes About Understanding
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” — Plato
“You never know how much someone is hurting.”
“Understanding is the first step to acceptance.” — J.K. Rowling
“Listen with the intent to understand, not to reply.”
“Compassion is knowing that a simple act of kindness can heal a broken heart.”
“Sometimes, what a person needs is simply someone to notice.”
“There’s nothing more healing than being heard.”
“You don’t need to fix someone’s pain; just acknowledge it.”
“Being there for someone is often enough.”
“You cannot truly understand another’s pain, but you can sit with them in it.”
11. How to Use Depression Quotes in Your Life
Reflect on them personally to understand your emotions or experiences
Share them with a friend who may be struggling, as a sign of support and understanding
Use them as journal prompts to explore your feelings and begin healing
Include in therapy or support group settings to spark conversation or reflection
Post on social media to raise awareness and let others know they’re not alone
Pair with creative outlets like art, poetry, or music for expression and healing
12. Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why are depression quotes helpful?
They offer words for feelings that are often hard to express, making you feel seen and understood. They also remind you that others have walked similar paths.
2. Can reading quotes really help with depression?
While quotes can’t replace professional help, they can offer comfort, spark reflection, and remind you that you’re not alone. They’re a small but meaningful tool for connection and hope.
3. How can I support someone struggling with depression?
Be present, listen without judgment, and encourage them to seek help if they’re open to it. Sharing a thoughtful quote can be a gentle way to offer support.