My lifelong struggle with depression

From a very young age I have struggled with depression. The cause of it has baffled my family, friends, and even myself for the majority of my life. Although my life hasn't exactly been a cake walk, for the most part I have had a good life and depression should not be a problem... but it is. Depression is a very common problem for todays youth; and even though many studies have been done on the topic, a lot of people are unsympathetic due to a lack of understanding of depression. Depression is a legitimate mental disorder which has various effects on people who have it. For some reason, people seem to think that it is just something people can get over or forget about when in reality that's not always possible. I spent years trying to "get over" my depression without any help and eventually that led to me trying to take my life at the age of 15.
After my attempted suicide I spent two years in behavioral institutions, and countless hours with therapists. During this time it seemed as if I had made some improvements and I was finally released from the institutions and allowed to go back home with my parents. After a few short months though I spiraled back into depression and wound up putting myself in a very bad situation trying to cope with these feelings. I was only just barely 18 when I became a heavy user of various drugs ranging from cocaine to methadone. It didn't take long for things to head south and soon I found myself behind bars facing 40 years in prison for robbery. This was by far the lowest time of my life and I wonder every day how I managed to pull myself through that.
Flash forward a few years and I'm back out on the streets a free man. within a week of being released I was back on drugs and drinking very heavily. Somehow by the grace of god it was at this time that I met my wife. She helped me to recover from my various addictions and to find positive coping mechanisms for my depression. She is actually the one that got me back into writing and other things I enjoy doing. The depression is definitely still there but I have a lot easier time of coping with it now.
Depression is a very real problem and if you know someone that is currently struggling with it, the best thing you can do is be supportive. It is not something they can just get over so do your best (even though it is hard) not to get frustrated with them. Don't push to hard for reasoning behind their depression, because there is not always a reason, sometimes people struggling with depression are sad for no real reason at all. If you have depression then my heart goes out to you... I understand how difficult it can be but you must always persevere. Persevere with the hope that one day it will become more manageable. Persevere with the hope that one day you will feel the happiness you deserve to feel.
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