To the young person struggling with depression,

First of all, I want you to know that I'm sorry. I'm sorry that you are experiencing the pain and torture of this horrifying mental illness. I know that there are nights that you don't sleep because you are up all night crying, and you roll out of bed in the morning and put a fake smile on your face. There is so much you need to hear, and I know that it may not help. You have probably heard it all before, but it is important for you to know.

Your mental illness does not define you. There is so much more to who you are than your struggle with depression. The social stigma on mental illness may lead others who don't know you personally to stereotype the type of person that you are. Little do those people know, your struggle with depression does not mean that you are weak and always sad. Your struggle with depression shows how strong you really are. You have been strong for so long that you can no longer handle it. You can be the happiest person in the world and still struggle with this illness. Do not let your illness define you, keep shining. You are unique and precious.

Your life has value. You matter. Regardless of what you have been told in your lifetime, your life truly does mean something. There are times when you may not feel like it, but the second that you give in to that thought you make yourself vulnerable. Believe me, I know that it's easier said than done to brush it off when someone says or implies that your life is worthless, but it is not true. Life is a gift that allows you the opportunity to become more, don't take that for granted.

So many people care about you, even if you think they don't. You are not alone. Family, friends, acquaintances, teachers and classmates all care. Of course you will run into a few selfish people here and there who only care for themselves, but the majority of people care. They want you to be happy and they want you to succeed and win your battle with depression.

You are loved. Somebody on this earth loves you. Your family would not be the same without you and neither would your friends. People care for you deeply, and their hearts would shatter if anything bad were to happen to you.

People will miss you. You have impacted the lives of so many--every person you have ever met in some way or form has been impacted by your existence. You will be missed; there is no doubt about it.

There is so much more to life than the struggles you are facing. You're going to get older and you're going to achieve so much in life. You'll leave high school and begin a whole new chapter--a chapter where you get to choose what to do with your life. You don't have to follow a set plan. The world is yours.

Things will get better. The beautiful thing about life's hardships is that good things always come after. Like the saying goes, "April showers bring May flowers," you must have dreary days before beautiful flowers can bloom. You are stuck in April right now, and I promise that you will get to May and experience a beautiful part of life.

God loves you. You are fearfully and wonderfully made.

If you need help, please don't hesitate to ask for it. There is so much that can be done to try to kick your depression to the curb. All it takes is for you to talk to someone.

I've been where you've been. I know that all of this is easier said than done. I know that it's hard for you to understand. The chemicals in your brain tell you to ignore all of this, but I've been where you have been. Things will get better.

Keep fighting.