Sir: Depression is one of the most severe kinds of mental illness. If it is not treated on time, it can be deadly. The sad reality of our society is that we only give attention to the physical sickness and ignore the mental aspects of health. The increasing rate of depression in youth is a clear example of how we do not consider mental illness as significant as physical ailments. Depression works as a slow poison, it slowly kills you from the inside. One of the main cause of depression these days is the struggle for a successful career. Since employment opportunities are so limited in Pakistan, most people do not even get a chance in the ruthless job market. Another reason is that children are emotionally forced by their parents to study what they want them to study instead of letting the child follow his or her passion. Relationship conflicts are also a big reason behind depression in youth these days. The pressure of good grades and assignment plays a vital role in the increase of depression in students. So many careers have been destroyed and countless beautiful souls have been taken away by this scourge. I believe that its time that society realise that things need to change. Parents should support their children’s dreams and should appreciate them if they want to do something different than the norm, because it would not only open the door to creativity but will also lead to more job opportunities. There should be a counsellor in every educational institution so distressed students can get the proper help. In the end, I would like to request that everyone who is reading this please take a moment and try to think and reflect. Try to be empathetic towards others because everyone is struggling and fighting a battle. Remember every life is precious and worth saving. MEHEK ALI Karachi Published in Daily Times, May 17th 2018.