This
website was created with one major goal: to provide consumers with the most
comprehensive one-stop resource possible for information about
Depression,
its
causes and
treatment. Our goal is to collect and present to you
FREE, authoritative, and unbiased information about…
Information has been gathered from a wide variety of the most
up-to-date public and private sector sources: government agencies,
Depression associations, market research studies, Depression experts and
consultants.
Depression in America
It has been estimated that 21% of adult
Americans, or 63 million people, experience
depression to the degree that they seek relief from a
physician. Sales of
antidepressants total about $21 billion
per year.
The American Medical Association estimates that 10% of Americans are
dealing with
chronic Depression.
There is no single known cause of depression. Rather, it
likely results from a combination of genetic, biochemical,
environmental, and psychological factors.
Everyone
occasionally feels blue or sad, but these feelings are usually
fleeting and pass within a couple of days. When a person has a
depressive disorder, it interferes with daily life, normal
functioning, and causes pain for both the person with the disorder
and those who care about him or her.
Depression is a common but
serious illness, and most who experience it need
treatment to get
better.
Definition
of Depression
A
depressive disorder is an illness 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 suffer from depression.
