You may feel like giving up. It's important to realize that these abnormal feelings are not accurate but are part of the depression. It is as if your brain is tricking you, but you may not realize this or be able to stop it. If your brain were working normally, you would not have these morose feelings, and they will fade away with effective treatment. Depression can also produce symptoms other than those associated with mood, including impaired thinking or memory, inability to concentrate, disturbed sleep patterns, fatigue, change in weight or appetite, and other bodily symptoms such as headaches or other pains, digestive problems and sexual dysfunction.
Depression is more common than high blood pressure.
It's twice as common in women as in men. One in eight Americans will be affected by depression during her or his lifetime. Suicide occurs in about 15 percent of untreated serious depressions. The tendency to get depression may be inherited. Stressful situations or other environmental factors may trigger it in susceptible individuals.