Nine Inch Nails CD released in 1994

A conceptual album and the second studio album released by Nine Inch Nails in May of 1994. It revolves around an unidentified man who basically goes on a "downward spiral" essentially, or path to eventual and imminent self-destruction.
It went quadruple platinum, and was deemed (I can't, for the life of me, remember who said this) "The bleakest platinum album probably ever released."

A blantantly sexual, profane, beautiful Concept Album by Trent Reznor, aka, Nine Inch Nails. It might be the best CD by Trent Reznor.

A state of continuous or coninthing depression that may or may never end

This term describes a depressive state where the person experiencing the downward spiral is getting more and more depressed, perhaps due to causes unknown. It is called a downward spiral because there is no way to stop it, its just going to get worse and worse... until the person crashes, and maybe finds their way back to happiness.

1. When somebody goes into a downward state of depression and (maybe) finds their way back up.

2. A Nine Inch Nails album.

the term downward spiral is commonly used to describe depression and/or drug abuse, but can be applied to anything that starts out bad and just gets worse and worse and worse.

a downard spiral is illustrated in the book and movie Requiem For A Dream.

basic plot-

use a drug once
use it again
and again
and again
get an addiction
spend all your money on your addiction
start selling the drug to make money to pay for the addiction
use the drugs for yourself instead of selling them to pay for your own (why you should never sell the drug you do, if you sell at all)
fuck yerself over so badly you die, possibly from overdose, maybe you get shot by a drug dealer, maybe you kill yerself because you realize youve fucked your life over.