By Amelia Alexander
I have previously mentioned that I am a member of AMHA (Ada Mental Health Alliance).

This club aims to create a positive culture within our school that supports the wellbeing of students. We aim to prevent suicide by supporting people that live with mental illness.

The best way to support people with mental illnesses is to be there for them, and learn as much as you can about what they are going through. One in 4 people have a mental illness. It’s imperative to destigmatize mental illnesses and seeking treatment for mental illnesses. 

Depression is a very common mental illness, so I thought it was a good place to start. I will be talking about many other mental illnesses in the future, so be sure to stay tuned.  

What is depression? 
Depression is a mental illness that affects how you think, feel, and behave. Depression can cause various emotional and physical problems. Having depression can make you prone to being sad often, but there is a clear distinction between having depression and feeling sad.  

Symptoms of depression  
• Feeling sad, empty, hopeless, extremely unmotivated 
• Angry outbursts (even when it seems irrational/ not warranted), being irritable,  
• Loss of interest and pleasure  
• Trouble sleeping 
• Fatigue, exhaustion 
• Anxiety, restlessness 
• Slowed thinking, speaking, or body movements 
• Trouble thinking, and trouble remembering things 
• Thoughts about death and suicide 
• Unexplained physical problems such as back pain or headaches 

There is no shame in asking for help. You can make an appointment with a doctor or mental health professional to seek treatment. If you don’t feel comfortable seeking treatment try talking to a loved one or a friend. You are not alone.  

What causes depression?  
• Depression is a very complex disease. Research suggests that causes of depression could be from the brain being unable to regulate mood, genetics that make you susceptible to being depressed, stressful life events, medications, and medical problems.  

• It’s often explained as a chemical imbalance. This doesn’t fully account for how the disease works. It’s not a simple matter of one chemical being too high and another being too low. Many chemicals are involved, working inside and outside nerve cells.

There are billions of chemical reactions that make up the system responsible for your mood, perceptions, and how you experience life.  

Because of how diverse and complicated the disease is, two people can require very different treatment. This is why it can be difficult to find what works for you, but don’t give up! Many people with depression are able to live fulfilling lives.  

How to support someone with depression 
• Check-in with your loved ones.  Sometimes asking for help is difficult. By reaching out, you can make it easier for them to open up.  

• Don’t contribute to the stigma. Viewing people with mental illnesses as “weak” or telling someone to “just get over it” or asking them “Why can’t you be positive?” will just make them feel even more misunderstood and hopeless.

It’s hard to understand such a complicated disease that you have never experienced. Keep that in mind if you’re talking to somebody who has depression.  

• Be there for them. Some people need reassurance that you care about them and that you’re there for them. You’re not going to regret telling a loved one that you’re there for them, and that you care for them.  

 Educate yourself. By doing this, you’ll have a better idea of how they feel, and why they act a certain way sometimes. By reading this article, you know that depression can cause people sleeping problems and exhaustion, so you wouldn’t tell someone to “just go to bed earlier” or to “stop being lazy” if you knew that they were dealing with depression. A better understanding of people will make you more compassionate and loving.  

 We can all work to decrease suicide rates by being allies to people with mental illness. We can all work to destigmatize having and treating mental illness. Being thoughtful and compassionate goes a long way to create positive change.