It is not the same as being unhappy or in a blue mood. Nor is it a sign of personal weakness or a condition that can be willed or wished away. Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years. Appropriate treatment, however, can help most people who suffer from depression. Yet, treatment can alleviate symptoms in nearly 80 percent of cases.
Depressive disorders come in different forms, just as do other illnesses, such as heart disease.
These disabling episodes of depression can occur once, twice, or several times in a lifetime. Sometimes people with dysthymia also experience major depressive episodes. Within these types there are variations in the number of symptoms, their severity, and persistence. The following are the most common symptoms of depression. However, each individual may experience symptoms differently.