Depression

Everyone is once in a while feeling "depressed" but there is a great difference between feeling depressed or being depressed. The depression most people experience and describe as depression is a mental state that is characterized by feelings of sadness, loss of interest and hopelessness, and lasting for a short time. However, when such mental state persist for longer period, affects abilities to work and relations with other people, and results physical symptoms one is suffering from mental disorder which requires medical treatment. To distinguish between the depressed mood which is also often referred as depression or melancholia and depression as mental disorder later is also known as clinical depression, major depression, unipolar depression and major depressive disorder.

Experts agree that is completely normal to feel depressed once in a while. After all, everyone experiences events that makes them feeling depressed, while the intensity greatly depends from individual to individual. Why some become affected by depression as a mental disorder and the others do not is not known but most experts agree that depression is a disease just like high blood pressure or diabetes and has nothing to do with one's mental or emotional weakness. Depression can affect both genders, age groups and all social classes equally but statistically women suffer from depression more often than men although this might only imply that women seek professional help more often that men. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) depression most frequently affects individuals younger than 45. WHO also estimates that about 5-10% of world's population at least once in a lifetime needs professional help because of depression, while 8-20% of individuals are in risk of developing depression especially those who suffer from some kind of chronic diseases.

Depression can be effectively treated but people suffering from depression are often stigmatized and do not seek professional help early enough. However, depression can greatly affect one's daily activities, abilities to work, social life and causing symptoms similar to those in a disease. If left untreated depression can last for months and even years. For that reason is very important not to be ashamed to seek professional help if necessary.