FACT: Depression is an illness that causes a change in the person's moods, thoughts and behaviours.
FACT: Depression is not just a sadness

Margaret's story
Margaret used to be bright and active all the time. She and her husband Don were always the life of the party. She use to love playing tennis and taking her children Peter and Claire out for the day. Since her mother died three years ago Margaret has found it very hard to cope. She really misses her mother. Some days Margaret feels OK and can do some of the things she used to do. Other times life seems unbearable, she finds it hard to get out of bed and can't be bothered eating.
When Margaret's mother first died, Don, Claire and Peter really supported Margaret when she was feeling sad. Now Don, Claire and Peter feel angry and disappointed when they come home from work or school and find Margaret is not  interested in talking to them about what they have been doing

What is depression?
Everybody feels sad at some time in their lives. Usually, this sadness is a reaction to a loss (such as a death, a fight with a friend, parents' divorce or a painful experience). When this sadness and despair goes on for a long time and stops a person from being able to do day-to-day activities like going out with friends it is called depression. Other people may become depressed for no obvious reason. It can be hard to understand why someone is feeling depressed. A person who has depression may have times when they say they are OK and can cope with life. At other times they may feel depressed and unable to cope. These times of depression are called episodes.

Depression effects 1 in 6 women and 1 in 15 men. People experience depression in different ways. Some people may only have one episode of depression in their lives. Other people may have a number of episodes of depression separated by times of feeling OK. Some people may feel depressed all the time.

Symptoms you can expect
For a person to be diagnosed with depression he / she must experience at least three of the symptoms listed below.
 A person does not have to have all of these symptoms to feel depressed.
The major signs (symptoms) of depression include:

1. Lack of energy
2. Changes in self image
3. Changes in sleep pattern
4. Sad depressed mood that never lifts
5. Guilt
6. Loss of pleasure and interest
7. Lack of concentration
8. Change in eating habits
9. Wanting to die
10. Reduced interest in sex
    

1. Lack of energy
A person may or may not have the energy to do even small tasks like getting out of bed or going for a walk.

2. Changes in self-image.
A person may not pay attention to their appearance because they feels 'ugly' and worthless.

3. Changes in sleep pattern.
A person may not be able to get enough sleep because they cannot get to sleep at night or wakes up early (e.g. 3am). Another person may appear to sleep all the time and still have no energy (even though they slept for 15 hours).

4. Sad, depressed moods that never lift.
The person with depression may always feel sad, no matter what they or anyone else does to help them feel better.

5. Guilt.
People may feel guilty about things they have done or feel they should have done. People may blame themselves for everything bad that happens even though they are not responsible. They may find it difficult to make decisions because they are very worried about what will happen.

6. Loss of pleasure and interest.
People with depression are not able to enjoy their friend's company or the activities they used to enjoy. For example, in 'Margaret's story' she no longer wanted to play tennis or go out with her children. A person with depression may isolate her / himself in her / his bedroom or house.

7. Lack of concentration.
A person with depression may find it hard to concentrate on a movie or television show or may forget to do simple jobs.

8. Change in eating habits.
When  a person is depressed, their eating habits may change. A person with depression may not feel like eating and may find food tasteless, even favourite foods. They may lose a lot of weight in a short period of time without meaning to. Another person with depression may eat more that usual to try to feel better. This may cause weight-gain.

9. Wanting to die.
Some symptoms of depression may make a person feel so useless that they cannot see any point in living. A person with depression may think of suicide as an alternative to the pain they are feeling. NOT everybody who has depression thinks about suicide.

10. Reduced interest in sex.
A person with depression may not be interested in sex, even if he / she is still having a sexual relationship with a partner.