The day it happened, it hit me like a tidal wave. It knocked me down, flooding my mind, body, and, eventually, soul. Depression is like the monster under your bed, or the creeping eyes peering from your open closet. You can't escape depression -- and, even if you do, it still doesn't leave you completely. They call depression a mental illness, so that must be why it takes over mentality, causing you to lose your mind with yourself. Although, ar eyou really yourself with the black dog pawing beside you?

I was told depression swallowed me whole when I was a toddler. Being a total daddy's girl, I followed him around like a lost puppy whenever I could... until myh father got deployed, due to being in the Coast Guard. After that, I didn't know what to do. I didn't talk, I didn't eat, and I blocked everyone out from the comofrt of my bedroom. I, then, regained my colorful personality back, when I started seeing my dad more often. Everyone thought I was back to normal. I did, too.

Growing up, life was the best for me: I never happened to get into trouble; a punishment ilasted a small amount of time; my athletic capability was soaring; I had more-than-plenty of friends. I was as happy as can be. I actually found it easy to make new friends, and finding happiness simply involved playing outside with my friends. Sadness didn't qualify to me.

My freshman year of high school is when it started up again. My best friend had moved away, my boyfriend ended out one-year relationship, and my gigantic family had lost touch. Feeling alone had soon creeped ove rme, and I fell into a pit of darkness. My amount of people to count on dwindled down. I was beginning to lose my mind.

Normally, when you think of a person suffering depression, you imagine a perswown who doesn't know how to smile anymore, empty eyes, and away from any social contact. I was not that person. I made sure to smile frequently, along with being around people, just so no-one suspsected anything. To my prevail, no-one thought a thing.  Iwas playing everyone around me: friends; family; classmates. They were all in my brutal deck of cards, and I happened to be the dealer.

I battled depression for almost a whole year. With the help of my boyfriend, sister, friends, and even teachers, I have managed to be stronger than I was a year ago today. They have made me realize I'm not as alone as I've always thought. But, it's those quiet days when I'm sitting alone, watching Netflix, that I feel the darkness hiding in the corners. Depression isn't done with me, not yet. For right now, though, I have stood up for myself against depression.