Depression. A word to some people that means absolutely nothing. For others, it's a monster they must fight every day.

One time, a friend and a former co-worker of mine, told me about a person she knew that said to her, "You make my depression act up."

What followed was a long discussion about what depression is and what depression is not.

Depression is so much more than being sad or moody. Sure, being sad and moody is perhaps the most known symptom of depression, but there are so much more things to depression.

1. Depression is a life-changing disease and anyone can get it

Depression can be passed down to you from your family. If anyone in your family has depression, you are at risk of having depression.

I suffer from depression. My mom and my maternal grandfather have a history of depression. Once you are diagnosed with it, taking antidepressants or getting therapy, sometimes both, is essential.

2. Depression makes it hard to get out of bed in the morning

Depression makes your need for sleep much more than an average adult should get. An adult without depression needs 7-8 hours of sleep a night. For me, if I get 8 or fewer hours of sleep a night, I'm still tired.

My sleep sweet spot is about 9 hours. When I don't get 9 hours of sleep at night, I can't think straight and my head gets discombobulated with thoughts. I also am lethargic when I don't get 9 hours of sleep.

3. Depression is a mood killer for fun and it steals your happiness

Because of depression, the things I used to enjoy doing like singing and playing guitar, I find it very hard to enjoy these things now. Matter of fact, I find it very hard to enjoy anything anymore. I've been taking an antidepressant for a while now and the occurrences of happiness I have are so much more.

4. Depression will cause strife between you and your family

I can't tell you how many times I have had arguments and discord with my family because of my depression.

My older sister and my dad believe that depression is just sadness. They do not suffer from depression like I do. My older sister and my dad have also pressured me to stop taking my antidepressant because of their beliefs of depression.

I, for a time, stopped taking my antidepressant to appease them, but it killed my soul in the process. My depression was so much worse when I was off my antidepressant and suicide was a prevalent thing on my mind every day.

It was during this time that I felt no true joy and crushing, smothering melancholy.

The smartest thing I ever did was to defy my older sister and my dad and start back on my antidepressant. It's my body and I have to live with this disease. So I need all the help I can get.

5. At some point with living with depression, you will think about suicide often

I would say that suicide is a common thought I had in my mind daily. I've learned through talking to people that suicide should never be taken past the thought stage. There are different stages of suicide:

1. Thoughts

2. Making a plan

3. Carrying out the plan

A good rule I've always heard when it comes to this is when you're actively thinking and making a plan to kill yourself, then that is when you need to get help. Once you go past step three (carrying out the plan), it's too late.

Sometimes, people are lucky enough to get stopped between steps two and three (they get stopped before they actually kill themselves), and that is a blessing.

Suicide is a terrible thing. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. It takes the hurt the victim feels and spreads it to the victim's loved ones. If I could rid the world of that, I would.

Please, if you are considering suicide, visit the National Suicide Prevention Hotline website or call 1-800-273-8255.

There is someone out there who cares about you. Your friends care about you. Your family cares about you. Your teachers/bosses care about you. I guarantee that everyone has at least one person who cares about them.

Focus on those people when you are thinking about suicide. Most often, my people are my two young nieces Clarissa and Scarlette.

Whenever I think about suicide, I think of how they would feel if I went through with killing myself.

And that scares me and saddens me enough to live, to live for them.

You are worth the flesh and bones God, or Allah, or Buddha, or biological science created you to be.