Name: Desiree G.

Tagayuna Grade & Section: XI- Henry Sy

DEPRESSION

Good morning everyone. I am Desiree Tagayuna from Grade 11 – Henry Sy… and I hide all my
scars with an “I’m fine”.

Depression. What is depression? Is it just a three-syllable word? Or there’s something more to

it?

Base on science, depression is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects
how a person feel, think and act. It’s a medical condition that causes feelings of sadness and loss
of interest in activities once enjoyed.

Family problems, heartbreaks, stress from school works, personal problem and lastly being
judged by the society that gives impact in everyone are many of the causes the makes a person
lead to depression.It’s really scary and dangerous. Why? Because depression has no face.

You are laughing, smiling and pretending everything’s okay outside but in reality you are
dead inside. Everyone may see you always full of energy, but when you’re alone… the reality
strikes. Your heart goes weak. You feel sad. You feel hopeless. You feel unimportant. You feel as
if you’re the most worthless person in the world. Until you’re unable to live in normal ways.

You either sleep a lot or doesn’t sleep at all. You either eat a lot or doesn’t eat at all. You
always feel exhausted. But you still do whatever it takes to feel something. You talk to the people
you love with full of energy. But you’re too numb to feel happy. You get sick of it. To the point
you don’t like taking a bath, you hate getting out of your bed, or seeing other people. You start to
isolate yourself from the outside world. Negative thoughts start eating you again. Until you
attempt suicide, because you thought it’s the only escape.

Depression is suddenly not caring about the things you once cared. Depression is wishing that
you could at least love yourself. But you can’t. Not the way you wanted. But despite all of this,
people with depression tend to make jokes, laugh and smile more than people without this
illness.

Teenagers. Did you know that we are the favorite victim of depression? I hope we start opening
our minds to serious things like this.

Depression is serious. Depression kills. And it’s time to accept it. It’s time to do something.
Depressed people should not be looked down anymore. Depressed people should not be branded
as fakes or attention seekers. Mental illness isn’t the punch line to your joke. The sooner that this
becomes common knowledge, the better.

I am Desiree Tagayuna, 17 years old, striving to become a better person. Because who knows? I,
you, or maybe the person next to you could be depression’s next victim. Thank you.