Education

What is Depression?

  • Attitude Changes

    Feeling sad or having a depressed mood

    Loss of interest or pleasure in activities

    Changes in appetite — weight loss or gain unrelated to dieting

  • Energy Changes

    Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much

    Loss of energy or increased fatigue

    Increase in purposeless physical activity (e.g., hand-wringing or pacing) or slowed movements and speech (actions observable by others)

  • Cognitive Changes

    Feeling worthless or guilty

    Difficulty thinking, concentrating or making decisions

    Thoughts of death or suicide

The American Psychiatric Association

“1 in 6 People are Affected.

Depression affects an estimated one in 15 adults (6.7%) in any given year. One in six people (16.6%) will experience depression at some time in their life.”

Depression can strike at any time, but on average, first appears during the late teens to mid-20s. 

Women are more likely than men to experience depression.

Some studies show that one-third of women will experience a major depressive episode in their lifetime. 


  • With all this said and with it all too common, why then do we not talk about it more?

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  • According to the NAMI website, there are many reasons someone with depression may decide not to share their struggles.

    NAMI - National Alliance on Mental Illness

  • They don’t want to "burden others", they may be worried they will have "negative consequences" in their jobs, they don’t want to appear “weak” or they just don’t want to be "judged" or "treated differently."

    Quote Source

  • HOWEVER—Talking about depression can be a key step in the recovery process.

    Thank you for being brave enough to take the first step.

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