Depression is an illness, one that can be controlled with proper treatment or that can ruin your life if you don't get the help you need. Depression may look and sound like the blues, but it lasts longer and has a more profound impact on a person's life. If you're clinically depressed, you live in a state of sadness and hopelessness so severe that it makes normal activities seem impossible. Depression can kill your appetite or make you want to eat all of the time. Sleeping more or less than usual and problems concentrating can also be warning signs.
Depression can happen to anyone.
It is estimated that about 15 percent of us will have at least one bout of depression in our lifetimes that's severe enough to require medical attention. Sometimes it's triggered by an emotional blow such as a divorce or the death of a loved one, but it can also appear out of nowhere. A family history of depression can also put you at risk. That doesn't mean there aren't other causes, but a family history of depression makes a person more prone to it. Depression often surfaces during times of transition, such as the teenage years, midlife and retirement.