Suffering from a depression means more than just being sad or having feelings of sorrow after experiencing a loss. A depression is a disturbance of your mental functions which can influence your thoughts and feelings, your physical constitution and your behaviour. It involves a clearly depressed mood, lack of interest and a reduction in drive. This makes it difficult to master daily affairs, to work in a concentrated way and to enjoy life.
The symptoms of a depression can be accompanied by great psychological strain as they diminish the well-being and self-esteem of those affected. The illness can include the notion that one no longer wishes to live. The suicide rate among depressive patients is considerably higher than among those who are not depressed. It is assumed that depression is one of the causes for up to three out of four cases of suicide.
It is important as well to know as much as possible about the illness, because this improves one's chances to achieve a good therapy. Click the question that interests you in order to find out more about it.