Depression is a serious medical illness.  It’s more than just a general feeling “down in the dumps” or “blue” for a few days. It’s a persistent feelings of “down” and “low” and “hopeless” for weeks at a time or longer. A depressive disorder is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts. It affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. A depressive disorder is not the same as a passing blue mood. It is not a sign of personal weakness or a condition that can be willed or wished away. People with a depressive illness cannot merely “pull themselves together” and get better. Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years. Appropriate treatment, however, can help most people who suffer from depression.  There are different forms of depression that vary on the severity, number, and persistence of symptoms.

Some of the symptoms include but are not limited to: