Depression
Carly Knutson
What is Depression?
Depression is a mental condition where people feel extremely sad and helpless for a time longer than two weeks. Depression keeps you from functioning normally.
How Does Depression Affect People?
If you have depression you won't be living your life to the fullest, you separate yourself from others, you start to drink or do drugs, you stop eating or over eat, you blame yourself, you loose things, difficulty sleeping, and no longer have the same amount of energy.
Signs and Symptoms
How is Depression Diagnosed?
If you think you have depression, you should go to a doctor. They will ask you many questions about your feelings and your daily life. After the doctor asks you questions, you should know if you have depression, and what kind.
Treatment
You should learn as much as you can about depression, don't rely on just medication, get social support, and be committed to getting better.
Getting Help
If you think you have depression, you should go to a family doctor, mental health specialist, state hospital, or a community health center. If you know someone who has depression you should also get them help no matter what.
Statistics About Depression
- Roughly 20 million people in the United States suffer from depression every year.
- 1 in 4 young adults will suffer an episode of depression before age 24.
- Women are 2 times as likely to suffer from depression than men.
- People who are depressed are more prone to illnesses like colds than non-depressed people.
- Depression is a common mental disorder. Globally, more than 350 million people of all ages suffer from depression.