Depression is a serious disease where people become sad and can not again be a happy person. They also do not show interest into things that they used to love.

When someone is depressed they go through many changes. Their appetite and sleep habits usually change. A depressed person often loses their appetite but sometime can eat more than usual. They also usually get a lot less or more sleep than they usually do. Many depressed people also lose a lot of their energy but sometimes get more of it. The last symptom of depression is a low self-esteem.

Their is no exact cause for depression but scientists think that it has to do with stress mixed with biological and psychological components.

Biological factors. Scientists have found a link between depression and your. Even an adopted child in a depressed persons family has a increased risk of becoming depressed. Some also believe that depression is caused by genes that cause abnormal activity in the brain. Imbalances of chemicals in the body can also cause depression.

Stressful events can also cause depression. Scientists believe that stressful events can cause someone to become depressed if they are predisposed to it.

Depression can not just go away. It needs to be cured using outside forces. These are psycho therapy and antidepressants. Antidepressants are drugs like prosaic that are used to chance things in the brain. This is the number one way to treat depression. Sometimes psychotherapy and antidepressants are used together.

Living with a depressed person is hard to do. First you need to realize that the disease is not your fault and that you did not cause it in the other person. You must also try not get depressed yourself and keep yourself happy. Depressed people need a lot of social support. Acknowledging that you don't care about their mistakes and that you love them are some things to do.

This is a test to see if you are depressed. If you answer yes to more than 2 of these questions you may want to talk to a doctor.
1) Much of the time, do you feel
Sad?
Lethargic?
Pessimistic?
Hopeless?
Worthless?
Helpless?

2) Much of the time, do you
Have difficulty making decisions?
Have trouble concentrating?
Have memory problems?

3) Lately, have you
Lost interest in things that used to give you pleasure?
Had problems at work or in school?
Had problems with your family or friends?
Isolated yourself from others? Or wanted to?

4) Lately, have you
Felt low energy?
Felt restless and irritable?
Had trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting up in the morning?
Lost your appetite? Or gained weight?
Been bothered by persistent headaches, stomach aches, back aches? Muscle or joint pains?

5) Lately, have you
Been drinking more alcohol than you used to?
Been taking more mood-altering drugs than you used to?
Engaged in risky behavior--not wearing a seat belt? Crossing streets without looking?

6) Lately, have you been thinking about
Death?
Hurting yourself?
Your funeral?
Killing yourself?