Understanding Depression

Depression is a serious condition that involves your body, mood, and thoughts. It affects the way you eat and sleep, the way you feel about yourself, and the way you think about things. A depressive disorder is not the same as a passing blue mood. It is not a sign of personal weakness or a condition that can be willed or wished away. People with a depressive illness cannot merely "pull themselves together" and get better.

Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years. Appropriate treatment, however, can help most people who suffer from depression. People with depression may not recognize that they have a treatable disorder or they may be discouraged from seeking or staying on treatment due to feelings of shame and the associated stigma. Too often, untreated or inadequately treated depression is associated with suicide.

In a given year, depressive disorders affect an estimated 9.5% of adult Americans aged 18 and over. Nearly twice as many women (12%) as men (7%) are affected by a depressive disorder each year.

Any type of depression may run in families, suggesting that a biological vulnerability can be inherited. Depression can also occur in people who have no family history of the condition. Additional factors, such as stresses at home, work, or school, may trigger depression.

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