this is a little different than what i usually post. things have been going on with my friends so i kinda made this to let everyone know. so i requested this:)
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this is my take on a growing problem with young teens...well pretty much everyone.
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i may not be 100% accurate with this, but i just wanted to say my side of this problem that shouldn't be a normal thing.

Your POV
ethan came to my house with a good smile on his face, he went to me and hugged me. "hi," he says.

"hey what's up?" i always ask being his best friend. i always make sure that he's feeling good and happy everyday. it's good to tell a friend how there day has been.

"nothing much actually," his smile slowly faded but he kept it still. i smile back and put my hands in my pocket. "did you want to do anything today?"

"yeah...sure," ethan says with a small smile. something hit me, struck me in the heart. something is wrong.

but i follow ethan and we decide to walk together, just a simple walk around.

we discussed small things, and we laughed. ethan jumped around embarrassing himself in front of people and i laughed really hard.

sadly depression isn't discriminated, meaning that people can disguise it with fake happiness, which makes it hard for someone to know if someone is truly depressed. there could be someone that you may hangout with, that seems happy, when really that person is really down.

ethan and i shared snapchats playing with the filters and ethan made the funniest of faces.

i laughed along with him, but it just doesn't feel right. something feels different about him.

we found a small open area, flowers rest around the meadow, no one inhabited in the area. ethan and i decide to relax, stay silent just staring at the sky.

then i hear ethan speak. "can i say something?"

"of course," i answer.

"you are the only person i discussed this to," he admits then grabs a hold on my hand.

when you feel down, always talk to someone you trust and that'll listen to you. there is a person in your life that cares about you and will listen to you. you are not alone. trust me, i'll listen to you myself.

i look at him in the eyes and allowed him to speak. he seems scared to say it, he looks down and wiped his eyes, then a pang of hurt hits my chest.

don't be afraid to speak to someone about this because you are a human and you should be allowed to let out your feelings. holding it in only makes it worst and makes you feel alone.

"it's hard to say it, just don't tell anyone ok?" ethan says squeezing my hand tighter asking me for 100% trust, and i do so. "okay ethan you can tell me," i say.

ethan's eyes were shiny as glass, his lips were shaking, his hands were shaking, and then his breathing hitched. his mouth parted like he was gonna say something. but instead he closed it and swallowed down his throat, letting out a throaty groan.

i witness this person, who i thought was okay, about ready to break into pieces. he's like a broken vase; shattered yet attempted to be clued back together, but the glue is not strong enough to hold the vase in place. he's held it together too long, too long to handle the stress. "i...UGH!" and then he broke.

he broke down, his tears pouring down his eyes as if they were all held in for too long. all of the tears he kept in we're all out.

"ethan," i say and pulled him in for a strong hug. his uncontrollable sobs echoed around us, along with my small yet comforting words. "it's ok, it's ok e...it's alright-let it out," i say.

don't tell the person to stop crying, it's a way of saying to hold it in and tough it out, and this makes it worst. let the person know that you have time to hear them out.

"i'm just-i cant!" he cried holding a fistful of my shirt as his tears wet it.

"oh ethan, i'm so sorry you feel this way."

"i just..." he whispers, barely clear since his hiccups make it hard to understand, but that's okay. "i c-can't seem to enjo-enjoy anything anymore."

it hit me hard like a rock. it's awful seeing your closest friend feel this way. it's never okay that a loved one is so down. i feel so blind not realizing that he went through this for so long.

"i'm just...finding all the-the negative th-things and it's just...hard!"

i don't answer until he finishes. i run his back and let him speak, patient and caring for every word he speaks.

"i feel like there's something wrong in my life," he attempts to calm down. "is there something wrong with me?"

and then he cries again, tightening his hug around me. my eyes seem to well up.

"nothing is wrong with you ethan," i say being as soft as i can, not pushing my words.

"i feel pathetic!" he cries out holding me closer. "i'm so weak!"

he continues crying and i speak. "ethan it's alright to cry, if you want to cry then do it."

he continues his heartbreaking sobs, but calms down to speak. "i feel li-like my life is no-not good."

"your life is amazing ethan."

"but i just seem to find ways to make it not," he blurts.

depression is a mental illness, and one of the ways you can feel depressed is when your mind finds ways to be negative, which is not okay. your brain can disrupt a good day and erupt with thoughts that aren't good, in which should be talked about with someone you trust. and you can be that person someone may talk to.

"i just seem to not find joy in anything anymore," ethan's quiet voice spoke. "everything went upside down so suddenly. i feel...stressed, i have so-so much anxiety y/n...and i had it for so long and i never knew. i feel like my life isn't good y/n."

"ethan," i start holding his damp cheek with my hands. "you're an amazingly positive and powerful man. you are capable of many things in life and nothing should bring you down, your thoughts shouldn't control you.

"ethan...you don't need to fake happiness, but you can find ways to truly be positive. you are able to overcome this, and you know what you can do..."

"i think i may want to talk to a doctor too," ethan admits, feeling a little embarrassed by how he suddenly went red. "is that weird?"

"ethan, you saying that you will talk to someone is truly the strongest thing. you want to overcome this and you're willing to do anything, which proves how strong you really are."

talking to someone is very very VERY good, a doctor with this profession will help you remove these sour thoughts and make you feel 100x better...do you want that? do you want to feel better?

"okay, i'm just scared of what people will think..." he says still a little embarrassed.

"ethan...not everyone has to know this, you can tell people you are very close to, and that's all. it's not something a random person has to know, only people that you believe will truly care for you."

ethan wipes his eyes again and looks at me. "...it's tough."

"i know it is, but a lot of people feel this way too. you are not alone on this ethan."

he holds my hand again and closes his eyes. i take a quick breath. "i love you very much ethan, and i care about you a lot. you are loved and you can get though this, if you take action.

i take a quick breath again, "everyday, you should think to yourself...

what did you accomplish today? what happened that made you smile? what makes you who you are? what are you most proud of? what are you grateful for? and what will you do today? and then you can talk to friends or parents about your day."

i get closer to him. "you deserve happiness ethan, and i know you have it, i know. you just need to see it for yourself."

he looks into my eyes and smiles.

thinking about these questions can make you understand how grateful your life is. when you understand your responsibilities, achievements, and things you're grateful for, you will realize that life isn't that bad. life is amazing and you should live it to the fullest.

"thank you y/n. thank you for being the friend i needed. i love you so much y/n," ethan says and pulls me in for a hug.

"i'll do something," he says pulling away. he looks down and smiles, thinking about what he heard.

sometimes people feel happy when they know someone cares for them, so be there friend, a real friend and let them know that you care.

"i know what i should do now," he finishes after my hand grabs his and gives it a tight squeeze, reassuring him.

my take on this:
ok i am gonna first start on how deep i feel about this problem. it's something that i think about and am so sad about. people out there go through this and just never seems to get help or help themselves.

depression is not a feeling or a phase, it's a mental illness that can affect how you feel and what you do. and you are responsible for taking action for your mental and emotional health. talking to a doctor, a loved one or someone you trust can help you with this. you are not alone.

if someone you know is going through something like this, go and talk to them and comfort them, letting them know you're here to listen to them.

however, it's hard to see if someone is depressed, since it can be covered with fake-happiness, but what you can do is always ask every friend you know, "how's their day?" or "how's life?" it's a good start to them opening up or making them feel better.

you can even bring up things that make them who they are, such as "you are good at..." or "good job on..."

you can help someone when they need it. and you can get them to take action for themselves too.

talking to a doctor is not embarrassing, it's a sign that shows that you care about yourself and want to resolve this. people would also see you as a role model too and do the same thing.

i just recently talked to my doctor about my life, and it's self-reassurance and it made me take action to help myself instead of holding it in.

from this i made MORE CLOSE FRIENDS and a STRONGER BOND WITH LOVED-ONES and a BETTER ME! and i believe you should do that if you are feeling this way.

this imagine may not affect you and that's ok, it's just a reminder that there are people out there that feel this way and need someone.

and for those that relate to this i'm here for you and i love you very much. times are tough and obstacles may seem impossible to overcome, but nothing is impossible.

i care about you all and i hope this sort of helped you all.

again...i love you and i'm here if you want to talk, i have time to listen to you❤️