Almost everyone feels down sometimes. It's normal to be sad once in a while and to have occasional mood swings. Some common symptoms of Depression are sleep disturbance, lack of interest or apathy, social withdrawal, guilt feelings or low self-esteem, diminished energy or motivation, decreased concentration or memory, prolonged sadness or unexplained crying spells, lethargy, changes in appetite, and recurring thoughts of death or suicide.
Depression is a common illness.
More than 17 million Americans suffer from a depressive disorder annually, and one in five will experience an episode of Depression at some time in their lives. It can also be triggered by a stress, or medical illnesses. Other triggers could be change of seasons, childbirth or menstrual cycles. The illness is often passed genetically through families. Some people have only one episode of major Depression, though it is common for the episodes to recur several times or to be long-lasting.