To what can I liken the life of depression?
Consider a merchant vessel on a journey at sea. This ship is by no means a supertanker but is a functional, profitable, sea-worthy vessel. As it happens its current voyage is its first fully laden voyage but this is a ship built well for its purpose. The seas are no more difficult than usual and, having left port some weeks ago, it is apparent that there are prosperous times ahead for this ship.
While out at sea the ship inexplicably begins to take on water. The bilge pumps are manned and keep pace for a while. The intake of water soon increases and outpaces the capacity of the bilge pumps to cope. A crisis looms in the ship. Cargo is thrown overboard. First the heaviest and least expensive objects are discarded and this ship's stability and bouyancy are maintained. But water continues to be taken and more precious cargo now must be discarded. Valuables of all kinds are thrown wastefully overboard to ensure the survival of the ship and its crew. Soon there is no cargo left to discard and the water continues to invade.
At this point the bilge pumps are working flat out. The ship is losing bouyancy and stability with the more water it takes. Soon the flood is overwhelming and the over-taxed bilge pumps begin to fail, one by one, until all break down and there is no outlet for the invading sea.
The ship is now entirely awash. Power fails, steering is dead, and the once proud ship is in danger of capsizing and sinking listlessly to the bottom of the sea. By some sroke of fortune the ship remains afloat but its deck is on the waterline. All stability in the vessel is gone and it bobs like a cork in the sea. And it continues to bob with decks all awash, in storm and in calm weather, in typhoon and in gale. The ship hangs on to the surface but there is no source of rescue for the ship and its crew within sight.
While out at sea the ship inexplicably begins to take on water. The bilge pumps are manned and keep pace for a while. The intake of water soon increases and outpaces the capacity of the bilge pumps to cope. A crisis looms in the ship. Cargo is thrown overboard. First the heaviest and least expensive objects are discarded and this ship's stability and bouyancy are maintained. But water continues to be taken and more precious cargo now must be discarded. Valuables of all kinds are thrown wastefully overboard to ensure the survival of the ship and its crew. Soon there is no cargo left to discard and the water continues to invade.
At this point the bilge pumps are working flat out. The ship is losing bouyancy and stability with the more water it takes. Soon the flood is overwhelming and the over-taxed bilge pumps begin to fail, one by one, until all break down and there is no outlet for the invading sea.
The ship is now entirely awash. Power fails, steering is dead, and the once proud ship is in danger of capsizing and sinking listlessly to the bottom of the sea. By some sroke of fortune the ship remains afloat but its deck is on the waterline. All stability in the vessel is gone and it bobs like a cork in the sea. And it continues to bob with decks all awash, in storm and in calm weather, in typhoon and in gale. The ship hangs on to the surface but there is no source of rescue for the ship and its crew within sight.
posted by Blackdog at 9:54 AM
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