Editor's note: This story has been updated since it was originally published. The organization will no longer be holding a Pannel of Speakers event.

Persistent sad or empty feelings, difficulty sleeping, insomnia, feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, worthlessness, guilt and loss of interest or ability to enjoy oneself are all symptoms of a chronic depression called dysthymia.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, between 20 and 50 percent of those diagnosed with depression in the United States are children and teens that have struggled with hereditary depression. Depressed individuals are often affected by a combination of anxiety disorders and substance abuse. Students at Southeast Missouri State University have stepped to help those suffering from depression through an organization called To Write Love on Her Arms. TWLOHA is a nationwide organization that helps inspire, inform and push for recovery.

"TWLOHA's mission is to present help and find hope for those suffering from addiction, depression, self injury and suicide," said Jaime Myler, Southeast's TWLOHA president. "We also address topics such as domestic violence, eating disorders and recoveries."

In accordance with this mission, TWLOHA organizations across the country raised awareness through the community project Fears vs. Dreams. The Southeast chapter held its Fears vs. Dreams outreach Nov. 14 to 18 in Towers Complex. During the project, students were invited to share their greatest fear and their biggest dream on pieces of paper and make them public.

"One of the biggest fears among the people who participated was fear of failure," Myler said. "Whether it was fear of failure at a job, home, school, in a relationship or wherever, people seem to be terrified of not living up to their full potential."

Each fear was pasted to a poster board and displayed as a physical focal point to prove that people are not so different from each other.

Myler said TWLOHA wanted people to know they were not alone and not to be afraid to ask friends, parents, teachers or TWLOHA for help.

Unlike the similar fears students submitted, dreams tended to be more wide ranging.

"Some people wanted to travel far away and see the world, some people wanted to tour with their favorite rock band and some simply wanted to find everlasting happiness," Myler said.

The club members enjoyed working with the participants.

"I liked seeing how open people were, even though we were strangers to them," TWLOHA vice president Laura Carter said. "They shared a very personal part of themselves with us."

The Southeast TWLOHA chapter includes five executive members and 35 roster members. According to Myler, 10 to 15 students are active at weekly meetings.

Contact Jaime Myler at jmmyler1s@semo.edu for more information about TWLOHA.