Thanks to Bryan Peach for his column ("Busy students often forget to watch their health," Sept.30) about the problem of depression on campus.

I know that too many depressed students hold the misconception that if they just keep working through it, they'll eventually get better. Or worse, that taking time for themselves isn't an option. This results in what dangerously feels like a hopeless situation.

It's difficult to understand how we can possibly feel this way when we should be living it up in "Happy Valley." Depression is a serious disorder that no amount of academic success or wild partying is ever going to fix. It's a chemical imbalance that needs to be dealt with, even if that means missing a class or even taking a break from school.

To my fellow students suffering from depression: take care of yourself first, and I promise you that everything else will fall into place. Don't wait for these feelings to just go away. You have a treatable illness and there's no reason to suffer. You are the most important thing, and you deserve to be healthy and happy.