The following language versions may be downloaded and printed using Adobe Acrobat. Depression is the feeling of sadness and grief we sometimes experience at different times on our lives. Depression is also the word which health professionals use to describe some kinds of mental illness. Reactive depression People who have reactive depression are responding to a very stressful event or time in their lives, e.g. losing a job, the death of a loved one, relationship breakdown. Some people will require professional help to get over depression and treatment can often be successful.
Major depression is much strong than reactive depression.
It is not always clear what causes this illness. This type of depression can develop in people who would generally consider themselves as happy and good at coping with life. Some people with major depression may become low-spirited or feel very unhappy all the time, sleep badly, and have no desire to do the things they normally do. They may lack energy and lose enjoyment of life. In serious cases of major depression a person may lose touch with reality, this means that he or she sees the world differently to the way most other people see it.