a depressive episode is like being a clogged pipe.

nothing goes out, nothing goes in.

you don't want to talk, go out, or do anything. and you have no motivation to either read, eat, etc.

this forms a backlog between the clogged parts, which could suddenly break the pipe.

when the clog is fixed (even temporarily), you feel everything flowing nicely again. you want to talk to your friends, reading brings you joy, and ideas start flowing. productivity comes back.