Getting Help with Depression Let’s face it! If you’re suffering from depression you know how it interferes with your life. Trying to accomplish the simplest tasks now becomes monumentally difficult. Your once open, energetic, happy personality has been replaced by a sad, lethargic, withdrawn spirit who family, friends and co-workers no longer recognize. You may even find that those who usually love and support you may begin to avoid you since they are at a loss to help. The good (bad) news is you certainly are not alone. Statistics reveal that every year millions of people are struggling with this debilitating condition. Even worse is the fact a whopping 80% of these people are not getting any help for depression. This isn’t surprising when you consider how many parts of our society continue to hold negative attitudes toward mental illness. If you’ve ever been told by someone to just, “buck up,” you know how uninformed and unsympathetic many people can be toward someone dealing with t

Major Depression Major depression, also known as clinical depression or major depressive disorder (MDD), is the most severe form of depression . Victims of major depression experience a constant state of hopelessness and despair. The symptoms are much more severe than those experienced by people who suffer from chronic depression . They often have significant difficulty sleeping, eating, working, and even enjoy the company of family and friends. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that up to 06.07 percent of the population is affected by major depression at least once in their life, sometimes multiple times. Anyone can be at risk of developing major depression. Indiscriminately it affects young and old, men and women. Women are more than twice the risk of developing major depression than men do, based on figures relating to those seeking treatment. It is believed that this is due to fluctuating hormone levels that women often experience typically begins with the onset of

Chronic Depression While there are several different types of depression that have been defined, chronic depression is one of the most frequently reported. Chronic depression differs from major depression , mainly because of the severity of the emotions associated with them are less severe. Although chronic depression is a milder form, symptoms can last for a long time, sometimes years. Although less disabling than major depression , yet it prevents people from functioning at its best. People suffering from chronic depression can also go through short periods of major depression . What Causes Chronic Depression Experts are divided over what exactly causes chronic depression. Many believe that genetics play a role; however, there is controversy as to how big that role. Many of those receiving treatment for chronic depression have reported no cases of other family members who have suffered from the disease as well. It is commonly accepted that changes in brain chemistry are involved. It