Describing my depression, part 4

I keep doing these posts on "describing my depression" because it is imperative to my own well being to explain what is going on with me and in my head.  I also feel the need to continue to do this so I can work through it and come up with better ways to explain my depression to other people.  I think I'm making some strides in the right direction.

Anyway, several months ago, I stumbled upon this little gem of a guy.  Yep, there he is...chilling at my dinner table and taking up space.  He's the evil, scary, overpowering depression.  He looks like a monster.  He is frightening. 

This little buddy slinks into my brain and takes up residence.  He infects every aspect of my life and works on taking over.  Some days, he wins and you don't get a glimpse at anything or anyone close to me.  Sometimes he shadows me and just casts icky blackness on my moods and actions.  There are even moments when he hides in the very back, taking up so little space that you don't even realize that he's still there or that he can quickly jump back to full-sized, up-front scary.At times, he can disappear completely for several days, weeks, or months.  When he does reappear, sometimes it is as a bigger than life, in-your-face slam but it can also arrive in a slow trickle until he is flooded everywhere. 

You cannot stop him from hanging around but you can tame him and cage him some, rendering him incapable of interfering with your life.  I do this by taking anti-depressants.  I also help keep him at bay but getting enough sleep, living a healthy lifestyle, utilizing my coping mechanisms and relying on some routines and schedules.  It is not a perfect or fool-proof solution but it is working for now.