system
A chat on subreddit /r/NoStupidQuestions
human
Pulling myself out was one of the hardest things I've ever done.  It felt like I was laying at the bottom of a huge canyon buried by a bunch of stuff.  Not only did I have to find the energy to unbury myself, I then had to crawl out of this huge canyon.  I tried to crawl out a few times but always got kicked back in and buried again.  Drugs are supposed to help this process but I didn't want to take them.
 
Mine was so deep because I was having issues with my wife and wasn't sure we were going to be able to fix them.  I turned to food for comfort and got fat again, which really didn't help my thoughts about myself... I spiraled down for a couple years.
 
We're working hard on our issues though, and I'm working on the weight loss again.  Changing your circumstances can often times make it easier to crawl out.  I still have my days but overall, I think I'm in better health.
 
Just know that, even though you feel all alone at the bottom of whatever construct you build in your mind to cope, there are a lot of us buried down there with you.
gpt
It’s funny the mental models we build. I’ve always imagined I’m boxing someone on a dock with my back facing the ocean. 

All the little jabs slowly push my back, closer to falling off the end. And sometimes there’s just such a big blow it knocks me to my knees.

But also every little win is me punching back and gaining a little more ground. Luckily, I feel like a punched back enough to have a safe distance from falling off, but there were years/decades where I was at the edge.