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Depression - Topic Overview

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This topic covers depression in adults. For information on:

Depression in young people, see the topic Depression in Children and Teens.
Depression after childbirth, see the topic Postpartum Depression.
Depression followed by times of high energy, see the topic Bipolar Disorder.
Depression and suicide, see Depression and Suicide.

What is depression?

Depression is an illness that causes you to feel sad, to lose interest in activities that you've always enjoyed, to withdraw from others, and to have little energy. It's different from normal feelings of sadness, grief, or low energy. Depression can also cause people to feel hopeless about the future and even to think about suicide.

Many people, and sometimes their families, feel embarrassed or ashamed about having depression. Don't let these feelings stand in the way of getting treatment. Remember that depression is a common illness. Depression affects the young and old, men and women, all ethnic groups, and all professions.

If you think you may be depressed, tell your doctor. Treatment can help you enjoy life again. The sooner you get treatment, the sooner you will feel better.

What causes depression?

Depression is a disease. It's not caused by personal weakness and is not a character flaw. When you have depression, chemicals in your brain called neurotransmitters are out of balance.

Most experts believe a combination of family history (your genes) and stressful life events may cause depression. Life events can include:

Childbirth, a death in the family, work, or relationships.
Finding out you have a long-term health problem, such as arthritis, heart disease, or cancer.
Health problems, such as anemia and an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism). Treating the health problem can usually cure the depression.

Just because you have a family member with depression or have stressful life events doesn't mean you'll get depression.

You also may get depressed even if there is no reason you can think of.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms of depression may be hard to notice at first. They vary among people, and you may confuse them with just feeling "off" or with another health problem.

The two most common symptoms of depression are:

Feeling sad or hopeless nearly every day for at least 2 weeks.
Losing interest in or not getting pleasure from most daily activities nearly every day for at least 2 weeks.

A serious symptom of depression is thinking about death or suicide. If you or someone you care about talks about this or feeling hopeless, get help right away.

You also may:

Lose or gain weight. You also may feel like eating more or less than usual almost every day.
Sleep too much or not enough almost every day.
Feel restless and not be able to sit still, or you may sit quietly and feel that moving takes great effort. Others can easily see this behavior.
Feel tired or as if you have no energy almost every day.
Feel unworthy or guilty nearly every day. You may have low self-esteem and worry that people don't like you.
Find it hard to focus, remember things, or make decisions nearly every day. You may feel anxious about things.

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WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise

Last Updated: January 12, 2011

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information.