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Depression is a serious mood disorder that affects your whole body including your mood and thoughts. It touches every part of your life. It’s important to know that depression is not a weakness or character flaw. It’s a chemical imbalance in your brain that needs to be treated. If you have one episode of depression, you are at risk of having more throughout life. If you don’t get treatment, depression can happen more often and be more serious. What causes depression?Depression is caused by an imbalance of brain chemicals. Other factors also play a role. It also tends to run in families. Depression can be triggered by life events or certain illnesses. It can also develop without a clear trigger. What are the symptoms of depression?While each person may experience symptoms differently, these are the most common symptoms of depression:
If you have 5 or more of these symptoms for at least 2 weeks, you may be diagnosed with depression. These feelings are a noticeable change from what’s “normal” for you. The symptoms of depression may look like other mental health conditions. Always see a healthcare provider for a diagnosis. How is depression diagnosed?Depression can happen along with other medical conditions. These include heart disease, or cancer, as well as other mental health conditions. Early diagnosis and treatment is key to recovery. A diagnosis is made after a careful mental health exam and medical history done. This is usually done by a mental health professional. How is depression treated?Treatment for depression may include one or a combination of the following:
With treatment, you should feel better within a few weeks. Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks, months, or even years. Continued treatment may help to prevent depression from appearing again. Depression can make you feel exhausted, worthless, helpless, and hopeless. It’s important to realize that these negative views are part of the depression and do not reflect reality. Negative thinking fades as treatment begins to take effect. Meanwhile, consider the following:
When to call your healthcare providerIf you have 5 or more of these symptoms for at least 2 weeks, call your healthcare provider:
Key points about depression
Get the help you or a loved one needs, and get the latest expert insights on coping and preventing this mood disorder. Depression and insomnia often go hand in hand. Know the connection between the two, and learn how to recognize symptoms and get treatment for both.
Depression is a medical condition that affects your mood and ability to function. Depression types include clinical depression, bipolar depression, dysthymia, seasonal affective disorder and others. Treatment options range from counseling to medications to brain stimulation and complementary therapies.
Depression is a medical condition that affects your mood and ability to function. Depressive symptoms include feeling sad, anxious or hopeless. The condition can also cause difficulty with thinking, memory, eating and sleeping. A diagnosis of major depressive disorder (clinical depression) means you have felt sad, low or worthless most days for at least two weeks while also having other symptoms such as sleep problems, loss of interest in activities, or change in appetite. Without treatment, depression can get worse and last longer. In severe cases, it can lead to self-harm or death. Fortunately, treatments can be very effective in improving symptoms of depression. How common is depression?Depression is common all over the world. Healthcare providers estimate that nearly 7% of American adults have depression every year. More than 16% of U.S. adults — around 1 in 6 — will experience depression in their lifetime. What are the types of depression?Healthcare providers name depression types according to symptoms and causes. These episodes often have no obvious cause. In some people, they can linger much longer than in others for no clear reason. Types of depression include:
What are the symptoms of depression?Depression can affect your emotions, mind and body. Depression symptoms include:
If you or someone you know has thoughts of hurting themselves, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800.273.8255. This national network of local crisis centers provides free, private emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Various factors can cause depression:
Everyone may feel sad or down from time to time. However, clinical depression has more intense symptoms that last two weeks or longer. To determine whether you have clinical depression, your healthcare provider will ask questions. You may complete a questionnaire and provide a family history. Your healthcare provider may also perform an exam or order lab tests to see if you have another medical condition.
Depression can be serious, but it’s also treatable. Treatment for depression includes:
Depression can affect anyone, no matter their age, gender or circumstances. About 16 million Americans experience depression each year. Women may experience depression more often than men. And your genetics or other health conditions can increase the likelihood that you’ll have at least one depressive episode in your lifetime. Can depression be prevented?You can help prevent depression by getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet and practicing regular self-care activities such as exercise, meditation and yoga. If you’ve had depression before, you may be more likely to experience it again. If you have depression symptoms, get help. Care can help you feel better sooner.
Depression can be mild or severe. And it can be brief or long-lasting. It’s important to get help right away. Without treatment, depression can:
If you have symptoms of depression, see your healthcare provider. They can give you an accurate diagnosis, refer you to a specialist or suggest treatment options. If you or someone you know is thinking of hurting themselves or taking their own life:
A note from Cleveland Clinic Depression is a common condition that affects millions of Americans every year. Anyone can experience depression — even if there doesn’t seem to be a reason for it. Causes of depression include difficulties in life, brain chemistry abnormalities, some medications and physical conditions. The good news is that depression is treatable. If you have symptoms of depression, talk to your healthcare provider. The sooner you get help, the sooner you can feel better
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 12/31/2020. References
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Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy |