Treatments include antidepressant medications and counseling, although those with suicidal tendencies may require hospitalization until the crisis lessens. In fact, worldwide, depression is the fourth leading cause of disability. When a person is depressed, relationships with family, friends, and co-workers often deteriorate. Being able to recognize the symptoms of depression may help you help yourself or someone you know. If the following symptoms last more than two weeks, seek treatment or help the person you know seek treatment.
Depression is treatable.
In particular, talk of suicide should not be ignored. Children who are depressed may not be able to explain what is wrong. Their school work may suffer, they may cry more, and they may seem more withdrawn. Teenagers who are depressed can usually describe the same symptoms as adults, although parents may first become aware of the problem when their teenager's grades drop. In the elderly, depression sometimes causes forgetfulness which can be mistaken for dementia.