text: What is depression?\nDepression is a mood disorder that causes you to feel sad or hopeless for an extended period of time. More than just a bout of "the blues" or temporary feelings of grief or low energy, depression can have a significant impact on your enjoyment of life, your work, your health, and the people you care about. \n\nDepression affects people differently. Some feel down for extended periods of time; for others the feelings of depression come and go. If you have short episodes of mild depression, you may be able to continue to work and take care of daily activities. However, if you do not seek some form of treatment for your depression, you are at risk for getting more depressed or becoming physically ill. In severe cases, depression can cause people to become incapable of communicating, unable to do routine activities, or suicidal. In these cases, it is essential to seek medical attention.\n\nPeople with depression may be reluctant to seek help because they feel that it is a sign of personal weakness or a character flaw or that they should be able to "pull out of it" on their own. We now know that depression, like other medical conditions, has a chemical and biological basis. Treatment for depression is safe and usually effective even for severely depressed people.\n\nIf you think you may have depression, take a short quiz to evaluate your symptoms:\n\nInteractive Tool: Are you depressed? \nWhat causes depression?\nDepression may be triggered by stressful life events, other illnesses, certain drugs or medications, or inherited traits. Although causes of depression are not entirely understood, we know it is linked to an imbalance in brain chemistry. Once the imbalance is corrected, symptoms of depression generally improve.\n\nWhat are the symptoms?\nDepression is more than just the normal, temporary feelings of sadness and hopelessness associated with difficult life events. The symptoms of depression are often subtle at first. It can be hard to recognize that symptoms may be connected and that you might have depression. Common symptoms include:\n\nDepressed mood. \nInability to enjoy activities. \nProblems concentrating. \nChanges in eating habits or appetite. \nWeight gain or weight loss. \nChanges in sleeping habits. \nDifficulty going to work or taking care of your daily responsibilities because of a lack of energy. \nFeelings of guilt and hopelessness; wondering if life is worth living (common). \nSlowed thoughts and speech. \nPreoccupation with thoughts of death or suicide. \nComplaints that have no physical cause (somatic complaints) such as headache and stomachache. \nAll of these symptoms can interfere with your quality of life. Even if you don't have major depression, if you have experienced a few of these symptoms for at least 2 weeks you may have a less severe form of depression that still requires treatment.\n\nHow is it treated?\nDepression is usually treated successfully with professional counseling, antidepressant medication, or a combination of the two. Often a combination of the two is most effective. People with depression usually can be treated as outpatients, but in severe cases a period of hospitalization may be necessary.\n\nIf you have mild or moderate depression, you may be diagnosed and treated by your family health professional and a therapist or psychologist. If you have severe depression or other psychological disorders or do not respond to treatment, a psychiatrist, a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental health problems, may be helpful.\n\nLet your health professional know if you suspect that you have depression, because it is often overlooked. If you are diagnosed with depression, you and your health professional can decide on the best treatment. The earlier you are treated, the more quickly you will recover. 1 \n\nHow common is depression?\nIf you have symptoms of depression, you are not alone. In the United States, an estimated 15% 