“I’m depressed” is one of the most overused phrases. People use it as a word that doesn’t have any meaning behind it. Somehow being “depressed” has become a norm for saying that you're sad. People use it to describe them having their least favorite class, being dumped or gaining weight. But these people have no idea how people who suffer from depression feel.

Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. It can affect how you feel, think and behave and can lead to emotional and physical problems. Most people who have depression become in denial about it or lie to make everything seem okay. It can be caused by friends and family, which leads them to not trust that they truly care about them. One of the reasons depression is often misunderstood is that people confuse it with being sad and expect people to just get over it.

Depression is like alternating between feeling stuck in the past and worrying about the future. People who are depressed feel as if everything is never right. People with depression wake up and are not able to get out of bed, every second of everyday becomes a battle to survive. They constantly want to sleep and rarely eat. They end up not being able to think straight, and it takes over their whole life. The person just dies on the inside and their passions go away. Even comforting words from their favorite people become meaningless. They cry a lot for no apparent reason, at nothing or something that is insignificant. Living becomes annoying and everything feels like a chore. The person ends up just wanting to rot away and hates every second of living. They end up feeling completely alone even if they have 20 people supporting them to get better. They make themselves believe that no one understands and that everyone just pretends to care. Gradually depression can destroy a person.

There is a clear difference between being just sad and being depressed. Being sad is a temporary feeling and in time (hours to a couple of days) the person regains their mood. Sadness is something everyone experiences and is a normal human emotion. However people with depression are not just “sad.” When one is depressed the feeling isn’t ending. It can take weeks to a year for one to get better. They find it difficult to regain their original mood. The feelings feel permanent and as if they will never go away.

If you are suffering from depression, always know the pain won’t last forever. One day you’ll be able to remember what it’s like to be happy and to not fake a smile everyday. You’ll appreciate the sun hitting your face, the leaves falling from the trees, or the warm summer breeze. It may take a while, but you will feel okay again.

Don’t overuse the word depression. Change the stigma. Raise awareness.