“Depression is not an easy thing for me to discuss. Describing it is an obstacle all on its own. I feel as if the entire world has turned against me, and I have absolutely no one to turn to. All happiness that once resided within me has disappeared and I am left with dust clouding my vision. Then the anxiety begins. My hands shake, and I only beg to be back home and safe in my bed, letting my covers seclude me from the world’s judgmental eyes. I leave class just to beat the crowd and hope no one says a word behind me. This is why I have music to provide a pathway for me, telling me it is going to get better. A slight smile will then appear upon my lips as I realize…I can beat this.”

“I picture a normal kid dressed in normal clothes, sitting bored in a classroom like an average teen, yet there is something in their eyes…something wrong. If only someone dared to look. This kid can fake a smile and no one seems to know the difference between validity and fallacy. This is me; sure some smiles can be real, but they become opaque within seconds. I cannot seem to hold on as the entire world seems to crash down upon me.”

“Darkness, that is all it is; the feeling of being succumbed by the monsters that lie within. They pull me further down into an abyss to drown in my sorrows. Though I have the ability, I cannot swim up for air. I am suffocating in my tears and screw-ups for hours to days on end. I push friends away indiscriminately during the mood swings, and some never forgive me. My mind goes into a series of roller coaster loops, and I can barely think. I have never felt helpless until these moments, and it is the worst kind of emotion. No one is here to whisper comfort in my ears and hold me tight so my bones do not feel the sensation of turning to dust. I feel like the only color in my life is found in my tears. I do not want to be like this. I want to smile and go on adventures without worrying about…depression. What an awful word. I wish it did not exist. I thank God for helping me throughout the years and providing me music to keep me strong. Nothing is going to stand in my way as I climb this mountain. For I have to defeat this monster, this dark beast filled with anger and frustration, and you know what…I will.”

Many people who do not struggle with depression or have had a friend go through it do not understand what it is like. They can say ‘get over it’ without a care, or even make fun of people with depression without a second glance. This is a mental illness that once cannot just “get over” and is very difficult to deal with. Medicine can be prescribed, as well as counseling, but the most important things are strong friendships and family to tie up the lost knots of sanity. Depression, though a high mountain to climb, is simply a challenge for those who will later become a successor in defeating it. It is simply the Mt. Everest of challenges.