Depression is a profoundly complex mood disorder that inflicts a deep and often inexplicable pain on those who experience it. It can be so elusive and difficult to articulate that it almost feels beyond description. This makes it challenging for those who have never suffered from severe depression to truly understand its impact, as they may only be familiar with more common feelings of sadness or temporary distress related to daily life challenges.

While many encounter fleeting moments of "the blues," these lighter experiences of melancholy do not fully capture the overwhelming nature of extreme depression. Styron emphasizes that this more severe form of the illness can be catastrophic, highlighting a critical distinction between ordinary sadness and the debilitating experiences associated with deep depression.