You’re being dramatic.

It’s not a disease.

They are faking it.

They are just trying to get attention.

This is where the end begins. This is when someone feels so alone and isolated that they can no longer live. They take their lives. Their families and friends may forever wonder why. But it happens. This is our generation. And this is how ignorant we are.

Imagine that. Imagine you wake up one day and find out your best friend or cousin or classmate took their lives. Something so avoidable happened to someone in your daily life. They were so depressed, they felt they had no other choice.

I am not the first one to tell you school is difficult. Juggling classes, a job, friends, family and daily activities can become tiresome. There are days when you just want to lay in bed and sleep and then there are days when you think you can conquer the world. However, some students sadly get to a point when they no longer can juggle and or go on with their lives.

I personally struggle with depression and anxiety, but so do a majority of people I know. It is so common in our generation, we honestly have no compassion for people anymore. We don’t care about someone’s problems because we have our own. We don’t care to ask how someone is truly doing, while at the same time, we are scared to tell someone how we are feeling simply because we feel that they won't care or feel like we are being dramatic.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for college students. This statistic has stayed consistent since the 1950s. As of 2015, statistics show that 1 in every 1000 college students with suicidal thoughts will commit suicide. To some people this is just a number. To others this number is a reality. Thousands of families and friends are affected by suicide every year. They were apart of that 1 in 1000 chance of suffering through having a loved one take their life. One in 1000 no longer seems slim to them.

This past week, a freshman on my campus took his life. The details of his decision are not significant. Everyone has spread their rumors and told their stories but lets now focus on preventing another incident. Let's learn from this.

You may work six days a week. You may have a lot of homework. You may have your own problems. But maybe next time you see your best friend or talk to your sibling, ask how they are doing, what they may be struggling with, or maybe just tell them you are genuinely there for them. Pay attention to their behavior. Check for signs of depression or anxiety. Ensure they are going to class and doing well. Make sure they are eating. There are infinite ways you can make a small gesture to help someone.

Life is hard for everyone. We all struggle. Some may be a little more vocal than others about their issues but regardless those issues exist. Sadly, life gets very busy and sometimes it becomes difficult to confront our problems. Or maybe you’re afraid to speak to someone in fear of annoying them. Or maybe you don’t want to seem desperate or dramatic. And in those cases approximately 43,000 Americans result in taking their lives.

Let's work to lower this number. Be more understanding and don’t look at someone with depression or anxiety and call them dramatic because I know the thoughts and feelings of those mental diseases. Don't be the reason someone takes their life, instead be the reason they choose not to.