Depression

Depression is a serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. Depression has a variety of symptoms, but the most common are a deep feeling of sadness or a marked loss of interest or pleasure in activities. Depression is very common and affects nearly one in ten adults each year and nearly twice as many women as men. In the United States, depression is the most common mental health disorder. Types of depression include: major depression, dysthymia, adjustment disorder with depressed mood, seasonal affective disorder, and bipolar disorder or manic depression. Depression usually isn't caused by one event or thing; it's typically the result of one or more factors, and its causes vary from person to person. Your doctor or mental health expert can often treat your depression successfully. Different therapies seem to work for different people.