It’s complicated to understand how someone with depression thinks. You pretty much either feel everything or nothing at all.

You’re indecisive; you’re confused. It’s like there’s always two sides to everything; you're conflicted with your own thoughts. You want to be optimistic, but there is always something holding you back. One way to think about it is simply “you” vs. “depression”. You want to feel achievement, you want to be excited about the things you used to enjoy and the future, but everything is just flat. There may even come a point where you forget what these feelings feel like. I was diagnosed with clinical depression a few years ago, and I am still trying to understand the disorder. I can only imagine what it's like on the outside looking in. People who suffer from depression, are not their disorder. They’re still the same person you love, and they still love you even if there are times when it doesn't seem like it.

“In the United States, 16 million adults had at least one major depressive episode in 2012. That’s 6.9 percent of the population. According to the World Health Organization, 350 million people worldwide suffer from depression. It is a leading cause of disability.” When the depression gets really bad, you feel empty. You really don’t feel anything. Or you have moments where your emotions are overwhelming. It’s unpredictable. Simple things seem like the biggest challenges; you try to fake that you're okay and even try to convince yourself that you are, but that gets tiring. Getting out of bed can seem like running a marathon. Texting your friends back doesn’t happen. Doing your homework, going out seems like the last thing you can do. You isolate yourself from the world on purpose, but at the same time, you wish you had someone and didn't feel so lonely.

When you fall this far into depression, it’s hard to get up. You will get up though, you will not feel this way forever. There are ways to get through it. The first thing you need to do is accept that maybe there is something wrong, and you need to want to change it. The second thing you need to do is talk to someone. It can be hard to admit you need help and that you can't fix this yourself, but you have to be brave. No matter who or where you are, there is someone you can talk to; there is someone that can help you.

If you are the person someone is coming to for help, give them as much support and love that you can. It took a lot for them to come to you. You won't be able to cure your friends and family of depression, but you can be a small part of why they can function and feel good again. It’s not normal for someone to be so sad, mad, or numb day after day. Getting treatment could be the most difficult, but also the best thing someone could ever do.

If your loved one is suffering from depression, or you think they might be, all you really can do is be there for them. You will want to do more and feel like you need to. You may never be able to understand the disorder, but you will always be able to give someone else support. When they need you, they need to know you’re still there for them. There have been times where I haven’t wanted to talk to anyone for days, there have been times that I lash out with anger on the people I love. With depression, there are just some days where you aren’t yourself, and your friends and family do notice that.

It’s hard to be friends with someone who suffers from depression; it’s hard to see a family member struggle with it each day. The people that end up sticking by you through all of it are ones you should keep, the one’s you need to keep. If you are one of those people, you have helped someone more than you know. No matter how much you want to be alone, no matter how terrible you feel, knowing there’s someone who cares can always save you.