Depression, a touchy word, but it is everywhere around you, every day. All of Kid Cudi’s most popular songs are dedicated to kids who suffer from depression as he has his whole life. At the end of Lil Wayne’s track, “London Roads,” he opens up about a time he tried to take his own life, and then thanks the cop who saved his life saying, “I hope heaven made some more room for him.” People know how to hide it; your best friend could be hiding it. My sister suffered from depression for a year before I knew anything about it. Even myself, yes the ever smiling Evan Houze, suffered from this horrible disease for a year. Depression can stem from too large amounts of anxiety, or maybe just something bad happening in your life. Maybe you become extremely upset over the smallest issue; that is a sign of depression. Becoming overly sad over absolutely nothing is one of the worst symptoms. You should always seek help in some sort of form. Doctors help many people, but in some cases, like myself, they just do not seem to fit. Depression is a problem that you have the most power to fix. I used to be on the prescriptions: Zoloft, Prozac, you name it. They work for some people but did not for me. Pills always help in some way. However, they are not guaranteed to make you happy, and in some cases may cause unwanted side-effects. Counseling is a great idea and a wonderful treatment helping many people. However, it still is not for everyone, and I did not agree with my counselor when I had the opportunity to meet with one. If those forms of treatment do not work for you, you should still seek help and be as positive as possible.

If you are depressed, or think you could be, you should definitely tell your most trusted friend. It always helps to know someone knows your problem and is willing to keep it secret; however, they are still looking after you like a guardian angel. The best way to cure your depression, and the way I cured mine, is just to think positively about everything. There is good in everything! It sounds corny, yes I know, and it is very hard at first, but the gradual steps are what is important. You will not immediately be happy every waking moment, and if that is your expectation on life, the truth is no one is always happy. The people you envy every day that seem the happiest are the ones who think positively all the time. I learned the positivity trick from my friend, sophomore Haley Flowers. She said, “Always think positive; negativity takes you nowhere,” and I could possibly owe my life to her. Life is good; just find what you love and who you love and do your best to be around them when you can. Do not always expect someone to be there when you think you need someone because at the end of the day you are the one person you can always turn to. Another friend, sophomore Kevin McAteer, said, “You always have a friend to talk to even when you think you don’t; you can still always find someone.” Suicide is never a choice, and should never be an option. I hope everyone else who is suffering from or think they could be showing symptoms of depression can be strong. People are here for everyone with problems, and there is someone who loves you. Everybody’s somebody’s everything; nobody’s nothing.