“Hey, how’s it going?”

“I’m okay.”

What if it was socially acceptable to say you weren’t okay? What if “how’s it going?” wasn’t just something people say passing by, but something they genuinely wanted to know? Now I’m not saying this is how it is with every interaction, some people truly do care. Most of the time, though, our society sees it more as a greeting. However, not everybody has someone to ask them how they really are.

Depression is a serious illness that millions of people deal with. A lot of the time, it’s hard to detect. Some of the saddest people are the happiest ones on the outside. The hardest thing about depression is admitting that you struggle with it. It’s so easy to deny the pain, but it eventually will catch up to you. It makes simple tasks unbearable. Cleaning your room. Brushing your teeth. Getting out of bed. It’s almost as if they seem impossible to complete.

One of the largest issues with depression is that it is more common than you’d think. Some people you call lazy for not showing up to class or getting work done might just be struggling to survive each day. You honestly never know what someone else is going through unless you sit down with them and really ask “how THEY are.”

Instead of judging before you know someone, an if you are concerned that someone is struggling, I suggest the idea of sitting them down. Getting to know them. Maybe buy them a coffee or tea and just sit and listen. Not judge, not give input, just listen. Sometimes, all someone who struggles with depression needs is to know someone cares enough to listen to them.

And if you’re someone who struggles with it, know you aren’t alone. There are people in this world that do care about you and will gladly take them time out of their day to be there for you. You are loved. You have a purpose.