Depression - what it feels like

What depression is:

• Depression is an illness, in the same way that diabetes or heart disease are illnesses.
• Depression is an illness that affects the entire body, not just the mind.
• Depression is an illness that one in five people will suffer during their lifetime.
• Depression is the leading cause of alcoholism, drug abuse and other addictions.
• Depression is an illness that can be successfully treated in more than eighty percent of the people who have it.
• Depression is an equal-opportunity illness - it affects all ages, all races, all economic groups and both genders. Women, however, suffer from depression twice as much as men do.
• At least half of the people suffering depression do not get proper treatment.
• Untreated depression is the number one cause of suicide.
• Depression is second only to heart disease in causing lost work days.

What depression is not:

• Depression is not something to be ashamed of.
• Depression is not the same thing as feeling "blue" or "down".
• Depression is not a character flaw or the sign of a weak personality.
• Depression is not a "mood" someone can "snap out of". (Would you ask someone to "snap out of" diabetes?)
• Depression is not fully recognised as an illness by most health care insurance providers. Most will only pay 50% of treatment costs for out-patient care, as well as limiting the number of visits.