Depression is extremely common. It affects 1 out of 8 people and especially teenagers. Depression affects everyone but affects a large number of females. A simple explanation of it would be: If the body gets sick because it was overworked then depression is a sickness because of the brains’ over exertion.

Yet even knowing this, people tend to think that an individual with depression is merely malingering or acting immature and that they yell at them thinking this would encourage them and stop the sulking behavior. Basically, the idea of shaking things off may help but not when it comes to people dealing with depression. Depressed individuals should get all the support that they need from their family and friends. Offering an ear or having the time to sit and talk with a depressed individual greatly helps individuals dealing with depression. If however the depressed person does not take the time to talk to family members or friends then it would be best to refer that person to a therapist or counselor.

In some cases, even the person experiencing depression denies that they are depressed and refuses to seek help. Some even think that this is some form of weakness and that they do not need help or instead have to face this problem alone which is utterly wrong. Every one needs help and that includes individuals experiencing depression.

So exactly why do people get depressed? With all the studies and research being conducted, the exact cause of depression still has not been found. A lot of factors have been linked to depression, namely: environment, genetics, medical conditions, and life events.

Depression is classified into two: severe (short lasting major depression) and less severe (dysthymia) depression. There is also a third type called adjustment disorder with depressed mood which occurs when an individual takes longer than usual to adjust to a certain event in his or her life to the point that it interferes with his or her daily activities. Another depressive condition is known as Bipolar disorder. This condition is mixed with episodes of mania characterized by extreme bursts of energy or an abnormally high level of mood.

The symptoms of depressed individuals are as follows: sadness or a depressed mood all the time, inability to enjoy things that were used to be enjoyable, lassitude or lethargic, socially withdrawn, anxiety, inappropriate feelings of guilt, aches with no medical cause, a noticeable change in daily routine, pessimism and thoughts of suicide. Now if you notice five or more of these symptoms in yourself or someone you know then you are certainly depressed or suffering from depression.

Even if you do find out you’ve got depression do not lose hope for this condition is treatable. Therapists are there to guide and help you to recover from this condition. Treatment includes medication or talk therapy. A combination of both is done as well.

It is important that if you know someone who’s depressed or find out that you are depressed you do need to seek help immediately. Thinking that you are alone will not help you at all and would only make things worse. Everyone in times of need should ask for help and it isn’t a weakness to be feeling depressed in the first place.