Writers and Depression.

Fun fact: Writing is the most "at-risk" occupation for depression.
The list of writers who suffer from depression--some of whom have ended their own lives--is endless, some of the more famous being Ernest Hemingway or Virginia Woolf.
There are so many ideas and theories out there that aim to find the reasoning behind this. Some people believe that it is because many writers are quiet, reserved people who are pre-disposed to be depressed, especially when put under the pressure that writers have. Or because writers are the silent observers of the world, the people who must dig deep inside of themselves to pick apart their faults to truly and accurately write about them, they grow insecure of themselves. Others claim it is the long hours of solitude or unstable pay or economic depression that books are suffering now.
I, like many others who consider themselves writers, am depressed. I have been suffering from periods of extreme depression, self-loathing, anxiety, panic attacks, and the solid belief that I should be dead for nearly four years. However, I'm lucky enough to have periods of time where I feel completely ecstatic with life, unlike many authors. But when I have an episode, I grow unwilling to eat, or I eat too much, I lose interest in everything, not just writing. I sleep an unhealthy amount or not at all and have immense amounts of insecurities, about myself and my relationships with other people. I don't follow through on things I need to do, such as homework or projects with friends.
Nothing anyone can do helps me. I just have to wait for the episode to pass, curled up in my room with the lights off. My episodes usually last a little less than a month.
I'm in the midst of one now.