Think about your friends for a second. Yep, those goofballs. Chances are, at least one of them is dealing with depression. If you're like me, it's most of them, myself included.

Depression is funny: Sometimes there's no way to tell who has it, even if that person is you. It's invisible, and that's what makes it so awful to deal with. You feel tired and alone and like there are no options other than to feel miserable every day. That is wrong, though; there's plenty of ways to approach recovery, and any number of them can make a huge difference!

Depression is no “if I ignore it, it'll go away” issue, but sadly that's how most people tend to convince themselves to deal with it. It's hard to figure out exactly what it is at first, but a lot of people are hesitant to admit there is an issue at first. Heck, it took me six years to do something about it after I started noticing depressive symptoms in myself. It's like putting on a mask: The more you get used to wearing it and saying, “I’m fine," the comfier it becomes to keep it on. That's the biggest problem with noticing who even has this problem; it isn't like chicken pox, and no amount of soup will make it end any faster.

Sometimes it shows itself as not having as much fun with your friends as you used to or maybe not being as excited to see a movie as you wanted to be. Sometimes it's a growing feeling of emptiness or loneliness that eats at you, even when surrounded by the people that do indeed love you. It's a terrible sickness of the body and the mind, and it is a nightmare to feel like you're alone in dealing with it. Sometimes it just takes a little push, either from you or a friend, to realize that there is a problem and it needs to be treated.

There's no way to just “get better” overnight, either. Some people, like me, take medicine to help balance things out. A 200mg pill daily has helped me quite a bit. Therapy is a good resource for people, too, especially college students. In most cases, universities offer free counseling sessions for students. I started those sessions myself two years ago, and they've been a huge help. On-staff psychiatric nurses can even give a proper diagnosis of different disorders and prescribe medication as needed.

College can be a real pain, and resources like this are a definite benefit to the students and their health. I recommend mine frequently. The biggest help I’ve had, though, are my friends. I am fortunate enough to have a great big group of friends that have been very supportive, and sometimes the best help I can get is a shoulder to lean on. There's nothing better that having someone to vent off some frustrations to, and it can do more good than bad sometimes. It's a two-way street, too. If you see a friend struggling, sometimes reaching out in support, even with the assurance that you're there for them, can be like lifting the world off their shoulders.

Depression is one of the worst things that can develop in a person. It's a serious killer! There are options, and there is never a path that can't lead to change. Below are a few links (and a magnificent short video) to learn more and to help recognize some things to look for in yourself in others. There's always hope for a brighter dawn.

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.shtml

http://www.helpguide.org/articles/depression/depression-signs-and-symptoms.htm

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression-what-you-need-to-know-12-2015/index.shtml