Depression: Supporting someone who is depressed
What is depression?
Depression is a disease. It's caused by changes in the chemicals in the brain. Depression isn't a character flaw, and it doesn't mean that the person is bad or weak. It doesn't mean that he or she is going crazy.
Depression causes a person to feel sad and hopeless much of the time. It's different from normal feelings of sadness, grief, or low energy. The person may lose interest in daily activities and may feel sad and grouchy for a long time.
Many people don't get help because they are embarrassed or think that they'll get over depression on their own. But most people need treatment to get better.
Treatment depends on how severe the depression is and includes medicine, counseling, self-care, or a combination of these. Sometimes a person has to try several types of treatment before finding one that works. Most people feel better in 1 to 3 weeks, but it can take as many as 6 to 8 weeks for treatment to work as well as it can.
Depression is common. Men and women of all ages, ethnic groups, and economic groups can have it. It often runs in families. But it also can happen to someone who doesn't have a family history of depression. A person can have depression one time or many times.
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| Author: | Jeannette Curtis Paul Lehnert | Last Updated: November 30, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | Catherine D. Serio, PhD - Behavioral Health Lisa S. Weinstock, MD - Psychiatry | |
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