Depression
Depression is an illness that causes a person to feel sad and hopeless for much of the time. It is different from normal feelings of sadness, grief, or low energy.
People who are depressed may also:
- Lose interest in things they have enjoyed in the past.
- Think and speak more slowly than normal.
- Have trouble concentrating, remembering, and making decisions.
- Have changes in their eating and sleeping habits.
- Be preoccupied with death and/or suicide.
- Have feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or hopelessness.
Depression affects men and women of all ages and has often been shown to run in families. A person can have one or many episodes of depression in a lifetime. Each episode of depression makes a person more likely to have another episode of depression.
Most people who are depressed get better with medicine, counseling, or a combination of the two. Some people with depression may need to be hospitalized.
| Author | Jeannette Curtis |
| Author | Paul Lehnert |
| Editor | Katy E. Magee, MA |
| Associate Editor | Terrina Vail |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Catherine D. Serio, PhD - Behavioral Health |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Peter Hauser, MD - Psychiatry |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Lisa S. Weinstock, MD - Psychiatry |
| Last Updated | March 13, 2009 |
WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise
Last Updated:
March 13, 2009
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