Sufferers often do not realize the nature of their terrible malaise until they are so devastated that they can no longer help themselves or they may recognize what they have been through only after they are on their way out of the shadows.
The reason is simple. Depression is a sneak thief, slipping into a life gradually and robbing it of meaning, one loss at a time.
The losses are imperceptible at first, but eventually weigh so heavily that the person’s life becomes empty.
Once begun, the course of depression varies with the individual and with the form of the illness. Untreated, it can last weeks, months or even years.
In general population, as many as one in five individuals may eventually suffer a significant depressive illness, although most will not seek treatment.
During any year, one in ten people experience the sluggishness of mind, body, and spirit we know as depression. The risk is about the same in pre pubertal boys and girls, but the ratio alters in adulthood, with females twice as likely as males to become depressed.
This two to one ration exists regardless of racial ethnic or economic background and has been reported in several countries.
Although depression can occur in very young children, even in those under five years of age, it is more likely to occur for the first time during teenage years or in early adulthood. Depression can also occur for the first time in midlife or later.
What is Depression?
