Have you ever felt like you were talking to someone who was walking on eggshells? That whatever you said determined whether those shells remain steady or crack? The world is focused on a stigma against depression. It is an unaccepted mental illness that many people greatly suffer from. Although I do not struggle with depression, from first hand experience of witnessing a loved one who is impacted by it on a daily basis, there is more to be said about how it affects not only the person affected by it, but also the surrounding people.

Enough with the negative connotation that depression carries; sure, no one wants to be labeled with such a mental illness or be impacted by it, but life happens. When life happens, you have to take it with a grain of salt.

Being surrounded by a loved one that is faced with this challenge truly makes you a stronger person. Of course it greatly affects you in less positive ways and you feel a burden as if no one understands what it is like, but overall, it makes you a well-rounded person. It allows you to see beyond what others see in a world full of stigmas. It allows you to understand the struggles people face and accept them for who they are. And most importantly, it makes you want to reach out to the greater population and work towards the common good.

Depression is an illness, but more importantly an eye-opener. Empathize for those who suffer, but strive towards helping society. It is time for society as a whole to step up and rid of mental health stigmas. It is okay to not be okay.