A brochure on depression that explains what it is and how to get
help. Do you feel very tired, helpless, and hopeless? Are you
sad most of the time and take no pleasure in your family,
friends, or hobbies? Are you having trouble working, sleeping,
eating, and functioning? Have you felt this way for a long time?
If so, you may have depression. What is depression? Everyone
feels sad sometimes, but these feelings usually pass after a few
days. When you have depression, you have trouble with daily life
for weeks at a time. Depression is a serious illness that needs
treatment. What are the different forms of depression? There are
several forms of depression. Major depression—severe symptoms
that interfere with your ability to work, sleep, study, eat, and
enjoy life. An episode can occur only once in a person's
lifetime, but more often, a person has several episodes.
Dysthymic disorder, or dysthymia—depressive symptoms that last a
long time (2 years or longer) but are less severe than those of
major depression. Min