College is tough as it is. We're all struggling to balance excessive schoolwork, a social life, romantic relationships, maintaining overall health, and being away from home. Feeling overwhelmed is just another typical emotion felt by the average college student. Yet unfortunately, some of us are not lucky enough to just deal with the typical college stress, and the dark cloud of depression tends to make its ominous appearance from time to time.

For those fortunate enough to never truly experience depression, the simplest way to put it would be feeling as if something is wrong all the time, when everything should be and seems to be going fine. Depression dramatizes every small thing you might face, and makes your reaction to it way more intense than the normal human reaction. A simple bad grade can ignite this overwhelming feeling that everything in your life is falling apart, all at the same time, all caused by one insignificant moment. An argument with a friend or taking something said to you the wrong way can spark the immediate rain cloud that fogs your view and prevents you from continuing to appreciate life for that moment in time.

The worst part is, depression comes and goes as it pleases. Those who suffer from it have really no control of its effect on them. One moment everything is going absolutely perfect, and the next, you have absolutely no hope for yourself -- with no desire to even try to be happy. You can go to bed perfectly happy, and wake up feeling depressed for the entire following day with absolutely no explanation behind it. It is frustrating, to say the least, as depression is not something you can just "snap out of." Depression takes control of your body and your mindset, drowning you in overwhelming emotions.

After being diagnosed with severe clinical depression during my high school years, depression has slowly become a close acquaintance of mine. I know what causes it, I know the side effects, I know to prevent it as much as possible, and most importantly, I know how to recognize it in others.

When first being diagnosed with depression, the hardest part about it was the acceptance. With it came the whirlpool of emotions: the relief of finally knowing that there was a reason behind me constantly feeling sad all the time, the questioning of why this had to happen to me, the anger of feeling that I had no control of my body, and the confusion over how I was supposed to move on from this. Yet reaching out for help was the best possible decision I could have made for myself. Fortunately, there are tons of resources for young adults dealing with depression that make a world of difference, and I would recommend pursuing them for anyone who ever feels depressed and feels as if it is taking a toll on their life.

Unfortunately, I eventually learned that anti-depressants are not a cure. They take the edge off dramatically, but depression is something that truly never goes away. And so, I have learned to live with my depression. Over the past few years I have taken to exercise as a way of keeping myself at a steady constant, something I can use as a distraction and a source of natural endorphins which counteract any sense of negativity I might be feeling. Compared to where I used to be, today I can say I am genuinely happy. I can say yes, I have depression, but no, I am not always depressed.

Now that I have control over this inexplicable mental illness that my body has, I am sort of grateful for in it in a way. It makes me appreciate the small things in my life that make me happy, things that I might take for granted otherwise. I appreciate the good days more than anything -- days where I can look at the world around me and know everything is perfectly all right. Having depression makes you feel emotions much more deeply than the average person, and I believe there is something beautiful in that fact. When I am happy, I am unstoppable. The world around me is a beautiful place, and I believe my depression has allowed me to view it this way, as ironic as that sounds. I have grown to accept myself, and most importantly love myself and not let this flaw define or control me.

So if you take anything away from reading this post, please reach out to others if you ever feel depressed. We college students are not always just fine, and there's nothing wrong with that. No one really expects us to be fine all the time. Depression is real. It is not something we make up for attention, but really a mental illness that can be dealt with. There is help out there, and plenty of other people feeling exactly the way you do. We are all fighting the same fight, and I promise you that you are never alone.