Depression is a serious mood disorder and can take several different forms but is typically characterized by feelings of sadness, helplessness, hopelessness and worthlessness. People with depression may describe feeling empty, angry, aggressive, or restless. Depression can begin at any age, although is most commonly diagnosed during the early adult years. Symptoms may start gradually over several weeks or months but can also appear suddenly.
People with depression may not recognize the seriousness of their feelings and may be reluctant to seek help. Fortunately, effective treatments are available for depression, such as medications and psychotherapy.
Learn more about depression and it's causes 
TreatmentTreatment options for depression generally involve antidepressant medication or psychotherapy, or a combination of the two. It is important to understand that treatment of depression takes time to work and patience is needed.
Learn more about treatment for depression
Antidepressants can help relieve the feelings of sadness and improve your mood. Antidepressants work by re-establishing a normal balance of chemical messengers known as neurotransmitters in the brain.
Learn more about medications for depression
Track your depression symptoms to identify patterns and help with your treatment plan. Our progress tracker can be printed or even shared with your healthcare professional electronically.
Progress tracking for depression
News & ResearchResearchers have found that older people shown pictures of faces or situations tend to focus on and remember the happier ones more and the negative ones less. Other studies have discovered that as people age, they seek out situations that will lift their moods — for instance, pruning social circles of friends or acquaintances who might bring them down.
Depression is common in patients with Type 2 diabetes and, once present, often becomes a chronic or recurrent condition, a study shows.
The study, which was published in the online journal Child Development, looked at over 20,000 students from all over the US. Absenteeism also was a marker for conduct disorder and could be targeted for prevention efforts according to the study authors.
DiagnosisDepression consists of several types of disorders, the most common of which are major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, and bipolar disorder. There are also other, less common types of depression.
Learn more about depression diagnosis
This simple questionnaire is designed to help you determine if you have symptoms of depression and could benefit from professional help.
Doctor Discussion GuideTalking to your doctor or mental health professional about depression can be difficult. Knowing what questions to ask can help. Our Doctor Discussion Guide includes a list of questions you may want to ask. You can even add questions of your own and then print out the list.
Doctor Discussion Guide
