What is Depression?

Depression symptoms vary from person to person. Some say depressions feels like a black curtain of despair coming down over their lives. Some people feel like they have no energy, can't concentrate. Some people feel irritable for no reason. If you are feeling upset or sad for more than two weeks and its interfering with your daily life, you could be clinically depressed. Talk to a physician to find out.

Anybody who has gone through one episode of depression will have another one. Feelings of depression can go on for many weeks before developing a full-blown episode of depression. Learning symptoms and what triggers it early will help keep depression from worsening.

Treating depression is important because it affects you, your family, your job, and your life. People harm themselves because they think the feeling will never change, but it can. Depression is a treatable illness.

Working with your doctor, you can learn to manage depression. Change won't come overnight, but with the right treatment, you can control your depression and not let it control you.

If you feel like you might be depressed, take this DEPRESSION QUESTIONNAIRE

Resources:
Learn about, find and rate community mental health centers
Learn about, find and rate psychiatric hospitals
Find and rate mental health providers
National suicide prevention lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255)