Depression is a topic that almost everybody thinks they know about. It comes out of many people's mouths with an incorrect context. This is common around this time of year because seasonal depression is a thing too. A lot of people feel "down" during the winter months, but this is separate from full blown depression. I personally believe that a person is not depressed just during the winter months. It is not something that comes and goes for a couple of months, then a person is fine for the other seasons.

It is also common that when people hear the word: they are afraid, they think mental disease, they believe it is something that can be turned on and off, they think it is just sadness; why can't someone with depression just think positive and change their outlook on life?

Well, believe it or not: Depression is none of that.

While most just think depression is feeling sad about something or just sad in general, this is not what is actually going on with someone who is dealing with the illness. I say "dealing" because depression is something that doesn't go away and cannot just be cured with positive thoughts.

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Depression is holding onto the edge for your life. Otherwise, you will drown. All the responsibilities are weighing on you, dragging you down. For a lot of people, they take on many responsibilities to never have a down moment, to never have a chance to fall into dark thoughts. This becomes an aggressive cycle, however, because they often bite off more than they can chew. They get super stressed out, break down, and then spiral out of control - giving into the inner demons of their depression.

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This one is very accurate when everything seems to be falling apart. For a lot of people, depression is feeling nothing at all. It is a stagnant point that is very difficult to get out of. While life is happening, they end up sleeping for more than twelve hours, or don't sleep at all - just staring at the wall. Another important saying that goes here: Life doesn't wait for anyone, it will always go on no matter what. While that is true, people with depression apathetically let time pass by.

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Depression is wearing a great facade that can rarely be seen as fake. It is often said that you can't leave the house without a smile. For those with depression, this becomes a normal habit for every minute of the day. When the day starts, they not only brush their teeth and get dressed, but put on that fake persona as well. Another popular saying to go along with this is to fake it until you make it. The way they hold themselves in public is completely different than the one behind the walls of their homes or private rooms. The prior graphic displays this quite well.

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Depression is inside the head; something that has to be dealt with from within by your own self. As children, we were afraid that monsters resided in our closets or under the bed; being fearful of what might be lurking in the dark. Now imagine this fear inside your own head. They may not always be active causing chaos, but they are always there. I can never go a day without having a moment where they remind me of their presence. They stalk and fly around like dementors from the Harry Potter movies.

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Depression is begging for help, but knowing it is something that you have to beat by yourself. I have seen this tattoo floating around multiple social media platforms, but it hit me hard once I saw the true meaning of the tattoo (only seen when flipped upside down). To other people, they would see the image on the left, which says "I'm fine". To the person with the tattoo, it is flipped and says "Save me". While most people will see that you are fine on the outside, you are actually aching for help, wishing someone could save you.

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You don't always know what inner demons a person is fighting. Although most with depression have a 10-foot thick wall around themselves, help is what they need the most sometimes.

Sometimes, everyone needs a reminder that life is worth living. I want to promote awareness about mental illnesses and keep people alive. "A semicolon represents a sentence the author could have ended but chose not to. The author is you, and the sentence is your life." ;