Depression is also known as major depressive disorder and is a common and serious medical illness. It can negatively affect how a person feels, how they think, and how they may act. Depression affects an estimated one in fifteen adults in any given year, and one in six people will experience depression at some point in their life. On average, depression first appears during the late teens to the mid-20s but can appear at any time.
Depression is different from sadness or grief, and usually, people should show some symptoms for at least two weeks before being diagnosed with depression. In terms of being different from sadness or grief, the loss of a loved one or relationship may naturally put a person in a state of sadness or grief, and they would describe themselves as being depressed. But this is not to be treated as depression.
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Symptoms of depression can vary from mild to severe and can include feeling sad or having a depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed, changes in appetite, trouble sleeping or sleeping too much, loss of energy or increased fatigue, feeling worthless or guilty, difficulty thinking, concentrating or making decisions, and can even include thoughts of death or suicide.