A typical day: Get up, brush your teeth, fix your hair, get dressed, eat breakfast and go to school. But to some people it’s not that simple. For some, depression makes the simple task of waking up really difficult, and makes them feel like giving up before they even start.

  At least twenty percent of teens suffer from depression, an illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. People who don’t suffer from depression may be thinking that it’s some condition that others can solve with a little medication and a therapist. But depression is so much more that that, it could alter your life in a horrible way, and unfortunately Jr. Ivan Lopez (not his real name) is one of those people whose life has been affected horribly.

  “Depression has affected my life by making me feel and think ways I shouldn’t,” Lopez said, “I’ve been dealing with depression since 2012. And it’s not something that goes away, it’s a thing that’s always there even in your happiest moment. It could hit in the middle of a conversation with your friends when you’re laughing, having a good time and all of a sudden there’s just this feeling of sadness that you can’t even explain.” Depression is way more complex than one might believe. It makes one  lose interest in activities that you love, and could even make you lose interest in eating. It could also make you either sleep too much or not sleep at all.

  “It just a constant feeling of being numb, numb to emotions and to life,” Lopez said, his voice cracking. “I mean I like being alone, but I hate the thought of being lonely. And it sucks because there’s really no way to deal with it, and if there is I haven’t found it. I mean I’m not suicidal but it’s just hard being here when my mind isn’t right.”

“I think what caused my depression was when my dad got locked up. That really took a lot from me because he’s my dad and now he’s gone and I still won’t see him for a while,” Lopez said. “And when he does come back I’m not gonna be the guy he left, the guy who was always smiling and was always carefree. But now I struggle every day to put a smile on my face, every day.” Lopez’s dad has been in jail for five years now. Five years Lopez has been without a dad, five years Lopez has been depressed and five years Lopez has been detached from his family. “I had to grow up pretty fast since my dad went to jail, to help take care of my sister, brother and mom.”

  “One thing I really hate is when people try to romanticize depression, and it makes me mad because it’s not cute or fun at all,” Lopez said, an angry expression forming on his face.. “Depression messes up your life and makes you feel like crap. Depression, unfortunately is a part of me and it might never go away. And it doesn’t just affect me it affects my family and friends. They always try talking to me about it but most of the time I shut them down and say I’m fine, but in reality I’m far from fine.”

  In the end nobody should ever be treated lesser just because they’re different. Nobody should ever have to be scared or nervous when they admit they have depression. Lopez may have depression but he never lets that stop him. Even when times get tough never give up, always look for the light in the darkest of places. Never lose hope.