preventing depression. Despite limiting alcohol being difficult in some social situations, there are ways you can persevere. When it’s happy hour, you can order an appetizer and straight cranberry juice instead of an alcoholic beverage. You can also plan and invite friends to events where alcohol is not provided. Most people think preventing depression is out of their hands, but clearly it is not. All of the effort put in these areas add up and make it more difficult to develop depression.

Depression is a serious mental illness that patients, myself included, should not be ashamed about. Unfortunately, there is a stigma around depression that makes it seems like it is different from other mental illnesses due to the negative nature of the illness that makes individuals suffering from depression unattractive. I personally suffered trauma from an something that occurred 2 years ago and have recently been diagnosed with severe depression. When this event happened I personally ignored many of the warning signs that I am or going to suffer from depression but luckily my parents noticed and took action. I began seeing a therapist and eventually she suggested I need to begin antidepressant medication. I had to try several different medication before finding the one that works for me, but at the time I did not understand why I had to do that. The information I found perfectly explained why my experience with depression has been the way it has been. I have always known exercise can help prevent depression but I was not aware of the the importance of a healthy diet and stable relationships. The reason why I chose to research depression was so the information I found could impact my own life because I have always been curious about the mental illness itself. In summary, depression is one of the most commonly unrecognized, undiagnosed, and untreated mental illness. If you or a loved one suffers from depression, make sure they seek help because if left untreated it can result in morbidity and mortality. It is very important to recognize the signs and symptoms and to be educated on how depression can affect someone. Do not be afraid to seek help since you should always put you and your mental health first!