Depression: The COMMON Disease

Everyone occasionally feels blue or sad. But these feelings are usually short-lived and pass within a couple of days. When you have depression, it interferes with daily life and causes pain for both you and those who care about you.But when feelings of intense sadness -- including feeling helpless, hopeless, and worthless -- last for days to weeks and keep you from functioning normally, your depression may be something more than sadness. It may very well be clinical depression -- a treatable medical condition Depression is a common but serious illness.

Many people with a depressive illness never seek treatment. But the majority, even those with the most severe depression, can get better with treatment. Medications, psychotherapies, and other methods can effectively treat people with depression.

A manual used to diagnose mental disorders, depression occurs when you have at least five of the following nine symptoms at the same time:

• a depressed mood during most of the day, particularly in the morning
• fatigue or loss of energy almost every day
• feelings of worthlessness or guilt almost every day
• impaired concentration, indecisiveness
• insomnia or hypersomnia (excessive sleeping) almost every day
• markedly diminished interest or pleasure in almost all activities nearly every day
• recurring thoughts of death or suicide (not just fearing death)
• a sense of restlessness -- known as psychomotor agitation -- or being slowed down -- retardation
• significant weight loss or gain (a change of more than 5% of body weight in a month)

Though very common, many people believe they don't actually have a problem. If you said YES to five or more of the bullets listed you may have a sign of depression. For more information on symptoms, causes, medicines, etc. on Depression, click HERE!