Depression doesn't necessarily have a trigger. People can be genetically predisposed. The reason it would be coming out now is her age: symptoms often start to appear or get worse when you hit your late teens/early twenties.

What can you do to help her? Listen to her. Don't abandon her, no matter how awful she's being. I lost all but 2 of my friends during my mental health struggles, because I wasn't "fun" any more. Try to get her out of her room, keep her eating healthy and maybe even exercising a little. Don't try to force her into social situations, because that can be really difficult. If she won't do things for her (which is a huge possibility) try to get her to do things for you. YOU need to go for a walk. YOU need to go get food. That sort of thing. Depressed people don't care about themselves, but they are fairly pliable when it comes to doing things for people they care about.

If she is seeing a psychiatrist, it's only a matter of time before she will be put on an antidepressant, likely. Things will start to improve, but it takes a few weeks for antidepressants to reach their full effectiveness. Untreated, depressive periods can last anywhere from a few weeks to years. Fortunately, you can often go off of antidepressants once you're out of the pit.

You are an amazing friend. It's not many people who would stick by someone while they go through this. If you find yourself having a lot of trouble, you can always seek counselling to help you through your friend's tough times. Your school should offer it for free through student services.

Thank you so, so much. :)

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My name is Amanda and I'm 26 years old. I'm currently studying electrical engineering. Armed with a fairly odd sense of humour and a sunny outlook on life, I'll take on just about anything. I'm also cussedly stubborn, which has its ups and downs. Things get tough sometimes, and I've never been one to run from it.

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