Most of my writing is upbeat and happy, simply because I am a happy person.

I haven't always been this way. This article won't invoke the warm feelings of love or a few giggles. Instead, this article is going to tackle the elephant in the room that no one will talk about.

Depression.

Most people think depression is directly correlated with self harm, dark black eyeliner, all black clothing, and not speaking to anyone. That common misconception about depression is what causes people to "tough it out". Trust me, I'm not one of those super sensitive people that need "safe places" because my feelings get hurt. What I am talking about is deeper, darker, and more daunting than the average, run of the mill sad episode. I am talking about chronic depression.

Chronic Depression is a constant feeling of being numb. Your entire body has no feeling, your brain slows to almost a halt and you can't seem to care about anything. You lose interest in everything you used to love including people. You make decisions that you usually wouldn't. You make decisions that you botch in your mind because you see a sliver of light and think that it might help you. You wake up each morning just so you can go back to bed. Depression clings to you like lint clings to the dryer vent. It stays there indefinitely just as depression will stay with you for an indeterminate amount of time.

Mere sadness is equivalent to a virus, in time it will pass and you can resume your day to day activities. Depression is like cancer, impossible to just shrug your shoulders and wait it out.

If you have a friend, family member, or even a coworker that you know is having issues with depression, be there for them. At this point in their life they need someone to actually care and see beyond the facade they put forth to the outside world. They need someone to look deeper than their forced smile. To understand their world is to look into a black hole. There is nothing left except darkness, emptiness, and the echo of a heart beat. Be there for them as they come back to the lighted world, as they enter the realm of reality once again. They have escaped themselves and become a mere skeletal shell of the person they once were. A chronically depressed person needs to be brought back to the world that patiently awaits their return. They need the family and friends they once had before they began to hide away from the world to sit in silence. We are all help captive by some demon that won't loosen it's grip. Sometimes you're even afraid of the darkness inside of your own mind, yet you are trapped there.

Personally, if you need me, I will be there. I don't care if I know you or if you are someone I have never met. I will be there to listen to you, I will be there to listen to the silence. Tell me your darkness and the fears you hide from even the people closest to you. I'm not afraid of the dark within people. I won't retreat due to the horrific thoughts that carelessly escape your mouth. If you need someone, find someone. Find anyone that you feel like you can talk to and talk. Find someone you trust and sit there in silence with them. Don't suffer in silence, that is the one thing I ask of everyone. If you are trapped inside of your own mind with demons that won't let ease the grip they have on your soul, seek another person. Let your darkness come to light.