At times, we all react to our disappointments, pains, and losses with sadness and grieving. These feelings are a normal part of living and cannot be removed from our experience. If you know someone who has suffered with some combination of these symptoms for more than two weeks, please urge him or her to seek help.
Causes of depression vary among individuals.
Some episodes of depression are strictly biological in origin, and often run in families. Other bouts of depression have a psychological trigger such as death of a loved one, breakup of a marriage or other significant relationship, loss of job, or illness. Causes are many, but the overwhelming result is to rob the person of the ability to experience pleasure in anything. Ultimately, some depressed individuals contemplate or attempt suicide to end the pain. Help is out there.