You don't have children! The phone is always on; otherwise, I agree with all your thoughts.

Beautiful article and one which will resonate with many who struggle with depression. I was particularly intrigued by your inclusion of "sloth", which I would call paralysis, and the corrosive shame. It IS always worse after progress. For me, though, it is worsened by my significant other, who never fails to respond to my increase in energy and period of productivity with ferocious recriminations for all my failings (over the last few years; puzzling as I was, too, disciplined and capable of hard work rewarded by achievement) which throws me back into the pit. For me, it is the Morning Demons undoing the resolutions borne of hard won effort during the day. You allude to the issue of time, an aspect of the disease which has always intrigued (and horrified) me. Time seems to disappear while I accomplish nothing; I look back and think, a year? How can it be a year? The days seem so full that nothing can be squeezed in, yet nothing is accomplished. It is the weight of all that I have not done, all that is now monumental after periods of not doing, that is overwhelming.

Very insightful. Really struck a chord and resonated with my current struggles.