Depression

             How many of you have heard of depression before? Today I"ll be informing you on some of the basic things to know about depression. Depression is an illness. It affects millions of adults each year in the United States. Depression doesn't mean that you have the blues and they will go away if ignored. Depression is a medical condition that requires treatment like a broken bone for example. Fortunately like a broken bone depression is treatable thanks to medicines and counseling. .
             The first thing to know about depression are some of the many symptoms. I"m assuming that most of you have seen a Zoloft commercial or ad with the little sad face on it, so I"m using the little sad face on my list of symptoms. Here's a list of some of the symptoms of depression. One thing to remember though is not everyone has the same symptoms or all of them. .
             A sad mood that won't go away.
             Loss of interest or pleasure in things once enjoyed.
             Loss of energy.
             Feeling tired all the time.
             Restlessness or slowed movements.
             Changes in sleeping patterns.
             Trouble focusing or making decisions.
             Changes in appetite or weight.
             Repeated thoughts or death or suicide.
             Everyone can have sad feelings, disappointments, or upsets. But when you have depression these feelings can go on for weeks, months, or even years if ignored. Depression can be painful and ruin your life if you let it go too far. But always remember that depression is only a condition it doesn't define who you are. Nobody knows why people get depressed. Depression can happen for no reason at all. It is known to be brought on by things such as stressful events in life, alcohol, major physical changes in the body like a severe illness, medications, or illegal drugs. According to the National Mental Health Center it is also common to run in families. Most people with family members with depression will not get it, but it depends on the family. An example I can give you is my family.