This is the way I've dealt with my depression and it's helped me.

I want a dog. I've owned one dog before and he made me so happy, and I'm hoping that one day I could own a dog and make him really happy. Dogs don't have a purpose, they don't know you, they don't judge you and at the end of the day, dogs will always want to be in your company and try to make you smile or be helpful. Even if they were abused, neglected, mistreated, they still have hope and they're still there for you.

How do you do it?

Think about a moment in your life where you were really hurt, struggling, or in actual pain. That feeling lasted for a while and eventually you got over it. If you experience things, meet different people, go out of your comfort zone you'll replace those memories with something better. If you don't do anything at all, the only memory you have is the one you'll still remember closely. You will always get over it

For example, the day I was told I was being suspended from school all I wanted to do was find the nearest bridge and throw myself. It's all I had complete control over and my parents would never let me live this down. I can't explain it exactly, but this was so important and severe. All I kept thinking was "I'm never getting through this", I spent 2 years living a bad lifestyle of not doing anything, I let my depression cripple me and failing in school was the last memory I had, it affected me and every choice I would make.

One day I heard a song by OneRepublic and there's a lyric that really hit me hard,

I owned every second that this world could give I saw so many places, the things that I did With every broken bone, I swear I lived

Hope that you spend your days, but they all add up And when that sun goes down, hope you raise your cup Oh, I wish that I could witness all your joy and all your pain

I don't want to die, not matter how much I tell myself. Whenever I do think of death, I get chills going down my spine, because I'm afraid of not dying with purpose, not purpose like wealth, fame, but with not satisfying myself by experiencing the many things life has to offer. Whenever I think "I just want to die" replace it with "I wish I could put myself in a better situation" because that's what we really want when we consider taking our own lives. I used to think the quote "Smell the roses" didn't make sense, I didn't get it and I thought it was dumb. One day, when I was at the lowest of my lows, I went to the park and there was this huge garden. I took a rose, sat down near a bench, and looked at it for a while. They didn't look like blocks of color like they used, too. They were these beautiful plants, that had thorns, seeds, petals, a beautiful fragrance, color, ect. They were amazing. Now on my free time I go to the beach/museums/parks, try to get to know people better, say hello to everyone I cross paths with, go to new places, try new things. Get into a state of mind where you know that the only person that chooses where your live goes, is you.

This is how I think, you need to appreciate everything you have and everything you will get from this point forward. Don't be afraid to let people in your life. We need to celebrate our pain just as much. It helps us grow, appreciate what we get, and want to live for more. Set goals for yourself, and keep those goals until you get them done. Find something you appreciate and make a goal to contribute something important to it during you lifespan.

Don't give up, ever.