How can you get a real feel for what depression is?  Most people who get depressed for the first time have a hard time realizing what it is. As a matter of fact, it is often someone close to you who asks what is wrong, what is going on. This sort of makes you think that yes, there is a problem and there are things which are going wrong.

Here are some very typical symptoms of depression

Things depressed people say:

Talking about feelings of sadness or emptiness Saying they are hopeless that things will get better Saying that they are no good and worthless Saying that they have no interest in anything

Personality Changes:

Unable to make decisions Unable to concentrate and remember Having trouble at home, work, or school Hiding out, not talking Slowed down movement

Common Complaints of Depression:

No energy, feeling slowed down Trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, waking early Appetite problems and gaining or losing weight Many physical complaints like headache, backache Feeling guilty about past actions Feeling unloved and unwanted

Obvious Behavior Changes:

Unable to Stop Crying Acting irritable, restless, and angry Insisting on being alone Stopping normal activities like hobbies or interests Taking drugs or heavy alcohol use

Dropping Hints About:

Death and Dying Committing Suicide Your life after he or she is gone Giving things away Seeing loved one who have died It's finally going to be over

Here are some stories about people who have been depressed and how they learned about their illness:

Jane's story: "It was really hard to get out of bed in the morning. I just wanted to hide under the covers and not talk to anyone. I didn't feel much like eating and I lost a lot of weight. Nothing seemed fun anymore. I was tired all the time, but I wasn't sleeping well at night. I knew that I had to keep going because I've got kids and a job. It just felt so impossible, like nothing was going to change or get better.

I started missing days from work, and a friend noticed that something wasn't right. She talked to me about the time that she had been really depressed and had gotten help from her doctor. I called my doctor and talked about how I was feeling. She had me come in for a checkup and gave me the name of a psychiatrist who she had sent other patients to who were depressed. Now, I'm seeing the psychiatrist once a month and taking anti depressant medicine. Everything didn't get better overnight, but I find myself more able to enjoy life and my children. And I don't think about death the way I did before. It scared me because I have kids to rise and they need me.

Ed's story:

Things in my life were going all right. I had just finished college and was starting a new job. My family was really proud of me. But inside, I was feeling terrible. At first I was feeling sad all the time, even though I had no reason to be. Then the sadness turned into anger, and I started having fights with my family and friends. I felt really bad about myself, like I wasn't good enough for anyone. It got so bad that I wished I would go to bed and never wake up. My older brother, who I always looked up to, saw that I wasn't acting like my usual self. He told me straight out that I seemed depressed and that I should talk to a doctor about it. I hate going to the doctor. I thought, 'No way am I going in and tell some guy I'm a wuss.' But after a few weeks, I started having problems at work too. Sometimes I wouldn't show up because I wasn't able to sleep the night before. When I got fired, I knew I had to listen to my brother and get help. I saw a doctor at the health clinic. He told me I had a common illness called depression and that treatment could help. So I started taking anti depressants.  I had to switch around because one seemed to help but had side effects and another didn't work as well as I needed. It took about 5 months but finally I started feeling much better. I think I'm ready to get started with my life now.

These are just sample stories and maybe you do not see yourself here.  But you can see that very ordinary people get depression and can get better if they seek out help.