Depression is a serious medical condition that involves the body, mood, and thoughts. It affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. A depressive disorder is not the same as a passing blue mood. It is not a sign of personal weakness or a condition that can be willed or wished away. People with a depressive illness cannot merely "pull themselves together" and get better. Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years. Appropriate treatment, however, can help most people who have depression.Some Facts About Depression:
- Depressive disorders are common. They affect an estimated 9.5 percent of adult Americans in a given year, or about 19 million people.
- Depressive disorders often begin between ages 15 and 30 but also can appear in children.
- The World Health Organization's World Health Report states that in the year 2000, depression (not including Bipolar disorder) was the leading cause of years lived with a disability among men and women of all ages in the U.S.
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