One out of four college students suffers from a mental illness. This includes Depression. Depression in young teens is a growing problem. But many people forget that Depression is not just a phase in life for most. Many of those teens with depression end up becoming college students who still suffer from depression. I am one of those college students. I am going into my third year of college and I still have depression. I have been clinically diagnosed for five years now.

One of the largest problems I run into with people is that they don't believe depression is real. I have heard "I had been depressed once. You just have to get over it." countless times. A good handful of people do not realize that feeling the emotion of depression and actually having clinical Major Depression Disorder, are two different things. Major Depression Disorder is a real illness that actually impacts your brain. Major Depression Disorder is caused by a person's brain not producing and maintaining appropriate levels of monoamines. Which are mood-related chemicals such as serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine.

Psych Central's article on this states "Dr. Jeffrey Meyer investigated whether brain monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A), an enzyme that breaks down chemicals like serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine, was higher in those with untreated depression. The results showed that in major depression MAO-A was significantly higher in every brain region that the scientists investigated. On average, MAO-A was 34% higher." This means our brains break down the chemicals that balance our moods as well as help keep us feeling happy and positive emotions. So when people tell me "It's all in your head" my reply is always, "you're correct. The chemical imbalance is in my brain, which is, in fact, in my head."

Now how does this impact me as a college student? Depression makes people feel "down" for no reason at all. The chemicals in your body affect your mood, which then also affects your body. When I am having a depression episode, I have different symptoms. I become very lethargic, but then go on to suffer from insomnia. My body starts to have physical reactions such as headaches, upset stomach, cramps, and so on. My mind will be fuzzy and my concentration is disturbed. My uncontrolled subconscious thoughts become dark and scary. I used to black out when my episodes got very bad.

Some people who suffer from depression feel like that have lost so much control over their emotions they go numb. As a result, many self-harm, even if they are not suicidal. And you might ask why would someone cut, but the reason isn't always clear. Most do it to be able to have a controlled feeling. When one cuts themselves they release some pain while also feeling in control of their emotions, even if only for a short amount of time. Others do it to punish themselves because they feel like they deserve it. Some people do it for both reasons.

All these emotions and physical side effects can leave people prone to panic attacks, or even anxiety episodes, especially in those suffering from anxiety as well, like I do. Panic attacks can last anywhere from a few minutes to a half hour. Anything longer than that qualifies as an anxiety episode. I have had one last up to over four hours. These attacks, even if only for a few minutes, can leave you physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausted.

These symptoms can make it hard for college students to regularly attend classes, perform well on tests, and participate in class. And just because we can go weeks being fine and not missing classes and regularly participating, it doesn't mean we are better. It just means we haven't had an episode on that day for a while. It is not as easy as just getting over it. It is an illness that has to be treated. With medication, some have been able to fix their imbalance, others can only maintain it, and some have such an imbalance that most medicines don't work or don't work completely.

Luckily for me, at my school, they recognize Mental Illness as an actual illness and disability. The Disability Resource Center at Montclair State University happily provides students with Major Depression Disorder, and similar illnesses, with appropriate accommodations. Montclair State also provides a Counseling and Psychological Services Center to provide short-term counseling, as well as referrals to nearby services in the surrounding areas off-campus. They also provide weekly, unlimited, group sessions for students. We are also stigma-free campus meaning that our school has organizations constantly trying to break the stigma that depression is just an emotion. The school's resources have helped me a lot every year.

Depression doesn't just affect school work, though. Depression can make it hard for those suffering from it to form relationships and find friends. We tend to worry about being a bother to people and have anxiety when it comes to approaching new people. I personally find it very hard to make new friends. It seems as iff most people do not want to deal with someone with this illness. This causes us to feel very alone and unwanted. Which makes it even hard for us to try to connect with others. For example, I normally sit alone in the cafeteria, hoping for a stranger to come talk to me because I am too scared to approach others and ask to join them.

I don't feel comfortable unless I was asked to join someone, implying that I was wanted there, not being a bother. I know this seems odd to some people but my subconscious reacts this way and causes me to have an anxious reaction to these situations. And I know I am not the only one who feels like this. I think that we should all work together to make it a normal standard to ask to sit with someone who is sitting alone.

Get to know a person and make a real friend. In my experience, when you have a friend with depression, they will need you a lot. But they will also be the best friend possible to you. The friend that answers the phone at three in the morning when you're upset. The friend that will never judge you or leaves you behind. We know we put you through a lot with our anxiety and panic attacks, but we also are the most loving people you could meet when you give us a chance. Everyone needs a real friend.

Living with Depression is hard no matter what age you are. It affects everything we do. Until the world as a whole understand the way this illness affects its victims, the world for the Depressed will only get harder. We need an understanding community to be able to grow and start to hopefully recover. Even for those who cannot recover, in an understanding community, we are likely to have more good days than bad. Understanding, kindness, and love is the recipe for recovery and maintaining Major Depression Disorder.