Depression, also known as feeling really down or sad, is a mental health problem that makes you feel gloomy or lose interest in things you usually enjoy. It can make daily life really tough. Sometimes it’s called a mood disorder. It might feel like sadness, loss, or even anger that messes up what you normally do.
People experience depression in different ways. It can make it hard to work or do things you need to do, and mess up relationships and health conditions like arthritis, asthma, heart issues, cancer, diabetes, and obesity.
You should remember that everyone faces tough times, but feeling really sad and down all the time is not normal. Depression is a serious condition that needs treatment. If not treated, it can get worse and even lead to thoughts of hurting yourself.
There are two main types of depression: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Persistent Depressive Disorder (PDD).
MDD can really affect your well-being. You might lose interest in things you used to enjoy, have trouble sleeping, lose or gain weight, and feel tired all the time. You might also feel guilty or have thoughts of death or suicide.
PDD is a milder but long-lasting form of depression. It can last for years and make you lose interest in daily stuff, feel hopeless, and have low self-esteem.
Depression can happen for various reasons, like childhood trauma, genetics, brain structure, medical conditions, substance abuse, and life events.
Diagnosing depression isn’t a single test; it’s based on your symptoms and a mental evaluation. Your doctor might ask about your mood, sleep, eating habits, and thoughts. They might also do a physical exam and blood tests to rule out other issues.
Don’t ignore signs of depression. If it doesn’t get better, seek help. Depression affects not only you but your loved ones too. If untreated, it can lead to problems like weight changes, pain, substance abuse, panic attacks, relationship issues, social isolation, and even thoughts of self-harm.
Treatment usually involves therapy, medication, or both. Having a pet can also help. You can learn more about emotional support animals (ESAs) on CertaPet’s website.
References:
1. [Learn About Depression](https://www.healthline.com/health/depression)
2. [Persistent Depressive Disorder](https://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/persistent-depressive-disorder#1)
3. [Major Depressive Disorder](https://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/major-depression#1)
4. [Emotional Support Animals (ESAs)](https://www.certapet.com/)
Great informative post here. You have explained Depression perfectly. Mental health is so important, we need to protect it.
very informative post. I have had depression since I was 18, it hasn’t always been easy to live with but I am always happy to see others raising awareness.
What a great read. I’ve learned a lot about Depression. It’s great that you’re writing about it. More people need to be educated. Not all people believe in depression.
Depression is such an intense feeling I know. The hardest thing with depression is trying to determine if depression was the only issue or whether it was a state of co-morbidity with other psychological factors affecting the person at the same time. These are good things to look out for in the person suffering from depression.
This is great information, and depression is definitely something to take seriously. We need to take care of ourselves and get professional help when necessary.
Speaking, explaining, talking about depression is important because you can never do enough. It is something that we must try to understand, fight and discuss without prejudice.
I so relate to this post. It makes me sad to know that so many people are connected through this problem. Thanks for opening up and letting others feel better about themselves.
Really informative post! Mental health is so important in today’s society and it’s what I actually focus my blog around. Great read, thanks!
Your post has shed some light on this mental illness. So many persons suffer in silence because of being judged.
Very informative post on depression. I’m sorry for those that suffer from it.
wow -this is a VERY helpful post! I think it’s good to know this stuff because not everyone does! I know when I got told I had anxiety I was lacking all the knowledge so anyone needing to learn about depression will gain a lot from your post! Thank you for posting!!!
This info is so helpful. I thought I knew what depression was but after reading this post, I have a much better understanding. I had no clue that it could actually cause other conditions to get worse.
This was very enlightening and informative! This is something thats still widely misunderstood, so this information is necessary. Great post!
You have some fresh ways to describe and diagnose depression, I like it. Not just the typical lists you find when googling. Also, such an important and widespread epidemic, thank you for spreading awareness!!
This is great info, and depression is definitely something to take seriously.
This is such a great post. Many people throw that word around so loosely, and it’s somehow lost a bit of truth and severity along the way. I think people should be aware of what depression actually is.
i have someone i love who is suffering from depression and there are weak moments when i just dont know what to do. this explains things! thank you!
Very informative and detailed look at depression and it’s caused. There’s no judgements just facts. Well done great read
Highly informative post you have here. Depression is just unhappiness and it can lead to so many problems as you have listed.
Depression has so many variants and ways it affects people… it is crazy! It is amazing to spread the message and make others aware!
Depression is so serious but often not taken seriously. I have seen loved ones go through it and it can destroy their lives.
Depression is a serious issue, and I often wonder why people do not take this more seriously. I have family members who suffer from depression and it is a part of mental health. Let’s support those who suffer from this disorder.
Just recently, I know a person who took his own life and was later reported suffering from depression. Nobody knew or “recognized the signs”. It’s a good thing to share awareness such as this, reposted!
From working in the area of disabilities, this is one post that a lot of our counselors should read and get a hold of. It is a serious thing and not something easily understood by many, but we need to have compassion no matter who the person is bc we never know what they are going through.
Very informative post! I never had in-depth information about depression, learned alot, Thank you!
Oh wow, what an awesome read. It is really great that you bring up this topic as a lot of people need to be well-informed about depression. Thanks for sharing this! – Ola @ WanderWithOla
Such an informative and eye opening post. I have to agree that talking is a great treatment whether with a doctor or a close friend. It would definitely help.
I don’t know anyone who has depression but I do feel that this has been very informative. Thank you for sharing.
Great post! Depression is still not so widely talked about. This is a really comprehensive post
Debs @ https://tiger-mint.com
I’m curious if you’ve tried any of the AI bots that help support mental health. As a former counselor and social worker, I was leery of these bots and whether they’d offer anything substantial. A few surprised me, and one in particular even gave printouts I could share with my medical professional(s) to show my changes throughout my time using the AI app. Thoughts?
While a software chatbot will never replace a human therapist, Woebot makes it possible to inexpensively deliver counseling to millions.
AI is the new electricity: even with its current limitations, it is already transforming multiple industries. The transformation of mental health care will help millions of people who struggle with their mental health, sometimes through literal life and death decisions. Being an active Practioner I’ll say this AI has more developments to make.
This is so important for everyone to read. There is a difference between a case of the blues and chronic depression, and people need to understand that difference.
Great facts about depression. I hope people would treat it seriously and urgently as it has claimed a lot of lives.
Very informative post. Depression isn’t something that should be taken lightly, and it’s great to come across articles such as yours that explain the condition thoroughly.
Depression can be so hard to get a handle on, last year I suffered from cycles of it all year on and off and it was just a horrible year. My husband was very helpful though and was always asking if there was anything he could do to help, I didn’t know what I needed help with though as I wasn’t even sure why I was depressed to begin with it just hit like a brick.
Depression is and has been for a while the disease of the modern world, which silently sneaks into our lives and refuses to leave. It’s so important to notice the signs of depression from the beginning and seek for help. Unfortunately depression is still a stigma and people are ashamed to go to a councilor because of what other people would think.
This article is so informative. As a young girl, I’ve always struggled with anxiety but it wasn’t until these last couple years that depression became a symptom of my anxiety and if I’m being honest, I was completely clueless on how to handle it or what I was supposed to do!
Great blog, very informative and pure. There are many forms of depression even I didn’t think of, but all forms are serious nonetheless and should be handled with delicacy.
Thanks for sharing!
Excellent information and so important for folks to understand! Always reach out for help!
It’s a daily struggle I think we all battle within our own way. Great post…it’s so important to talk about it and connect with others.
The world need to be educated about depression so many suffer from it
This is a lot of great information here. It is so important for people to be aware of mental illness.
Really well written post. Your mental health is so important – especially in this day and age when there is so much pressure put on everyone all the time
Depression is such a mine field and so hard to explain – Good job!
Depression is such a sad illness, and anyone who thinks they have it, or know someone who does, needs to get help straight away.
This is a quite informative post on depression. Early treatment would help many people from unwanted disasters.
I’m at least so glad that we have this illness established, we try to find solutions and we talk about it more openly than ever. I know some countries that still consider depression a “taboo” and it hurts me. Anyways, thank you for the post, very informative!
Very informative post and great post on depression.I think it’s an important subject to bring awareness on.
I suffer from depression and it is a very lonely place to be at times. I hope you have someone there to listen to you when you feel like there is no way out.
Thanks for this informative post. Depression is such an important topic and affects not only the person, but the people around them.
I appreciate that you are highlighting mental health and how to overcome it. I’ve suffered from depression after my babies were born and it can be a very dark place!
SUch an important article on Depression. Learning to recognize the signs would help so many!
I’ve dealt with anxiety for a number of years. Depression is a part of it. It’s awful and no one should ever have to deal with it.
Such a great article! Thank you for letting me better understand depression and its cause
What a great article to read! I’ve learned more about depression and thanks so much for letting us know all that. I will definitely share this!
There is no doubt that Depression is very complicated and has many facets when it comes to diagnosis and treatment. Thankfully it is more understood and acknowledged more broadly today than it used to be and this in itself is a good thing to help those suffering in this way.
Sound mental health is as important as sound physical health. Loved how to explained depression and its treatments in detail. Thanks for sharing
This is such an important topic to discuss and to discuss often. Depression should never be taboo and people should be able to freely discuss their depression without fear and stigma.
A lovely post and documentation! I think that it is so important to realise the importance of it and the struggle!
Great informative post. Depression is always a set back in life if u wants to achieve something great. Nice tips and thanks for sharing.
Depression is really a serious problem and have to be dealt with great care. Really nice and interesting article and you have covered quite a lot of information on Depression.
These is really a serious topic. And i hope if any of you had any of your family who might have this. Help them, they really need it.
This is a very informative read. A lot of people know the term depression but don’t necessarily know what it actually means.
The unfortunate thing with the typical understanding of depression it usually leaves out some HUGE reasons people show signs and symptoms of depression even when those people do not have major depressive disorder or PDD. So, whereas dysfunction in the brain may account for some cases of depression and, therefore, are (probably) best helped with things like medication, a lot of people seem to have depression when they really have things like: post-traumatic stress disorder, complex PTSD, situation depression, and other things. Yes, these things upset the chemical balance in the brain and more “negative emotion” chemicals are released and CAN be blocked with meds, but those meds will begin to alter the way the brain works, make the brain reliant on them, block out important physiological reactions to certain things, and will not deal with whatever underlying issue is leading to the depressive symptoms.
I bring this into the conversation because I have seen far too many people become reliant on anti-depression meds without addressing the symptom-causing situations in their lives (changing the situations or working on acceptance). I am not disputing MDD or PDD, I am adding to the conversation.
Depression is one serious problem that needs to be dealt with proper care. Such a detailed post and wonderfully written
This is an informative post especially for those who are wanting to get a better understanding of depression and some of its’ forms. As someone who has cyclothymia, I think bringing awareness to depression is so important.
Lots of great info here, I think most people don’t understand the different kinds of depression and what it can lead too. Thank you for sharing.
This is a great way on how to explain depression to someone who can’t understand. Thanks for sharing
Depression has so many variants and ways it affects people…
Thanks for sharing.
Ugh I was so there after my third baby!! Just threw me over the edge!! I was able to recognize it and seek helps!!
I have learned so much from this post with regard to depression. I hope many people will be enlightened on this problem by reading this post.
Mental health care is really important! Thanks for sharing this information
This is such a great. Some of us know depression but actually, don’t even know what a person suffering from this going through.
What an important to be discussed. It is good to know that there are people who give awareness about depression.
I have suffered in Depression 2 years ago. It’s not what people think. We are normal. Thank you for sharing this and give awareness to others what Depression means.
Thank you so much for this post. I think that it is important to know the different types and know the symptoms. It is so important for people who believe they are suffering from depression to get help as early as possible.
This is such an informative list. I think it’s so important to stay educated and informed so that we can be supportive and helpful.
very informative article. There is strength in vulnerability
Depression is more common than we think. It’s so important to talk about it more and more. Nice to read such a comprehensive post about the topic.
Understanding what depression is and is not can help you cope with it best. I experienced it a few times in my life, more so when I became a mom each time. It can be quite lonely at times.
This is a wonderful post. There is so much stigma surrounding depression and by arming people with the facts, you’re helping to break that cycle,
This is such a great post. Thanks for explaning the cause and effect of depression. Many people suffer from this disorder and this post is great help to understand more about it.
It’s very hard to tell if someone is having a depression so we have to check for the signs and be sensitive. This is very informative.
First of all, I would like to thank you for sharing information about such an important topic. Depression is one thing that most people don’t talk about openly. Great post.
This is such a great post. Depression can lead to many problems so we should take care of it.
This is a fascinating post and I must admit we’re a bit clueless on depression. We never knew if affected so many people in such different ways
While I may experience mild seasonal depression, due to lack of sun here in Canada, my son has struggled for years dealing with his mental illness. In the past couple of years, he has made a study of his brain by engaging with psychology, philosophy and even the psychedelic experiments. He is leaps and bounds from where he was just a few short years ago. As it is said in Zen, “Be Master of Mind, not Mastered by Mind.”
Wow, what an in-depth article. Depression a serious topic and shouldn’t be taken lightly. I didn’t know there were different types of disorders that deals with depression.
Amazing post ! We should all make more time to talk about depression, I see it as a modern ravaging disease.
Thanks for sharing. I have two if these medical conditions that cause me to worry and depress
A well put together informative post. Mental health is easy to disregard, but posts like this help others to understand the importance of seeking care.
I may be surrounded with a lot of positive people in my life, it does not really mean I don’t have to stop and listen to their every emotional and mental need. We all have stories to tell so it’s best for people to hear them out.
It’s so important for the mainstream people who don’t necessarily suffer from depression to understand these distinctions. Thank you for such a great post.
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Such an informative post. You have clearly described depression. It will help others to understand better about this serious topic that not many want to open up about.
I may not suffer from this situation but I know someone who does. It was only disappointing that my work colleagues wouldn’t understand him even our boss, and now he decided to leave the firm.
Interesting post – some great tips and advice here! I will definitely have to take some of this on board x