• An emotional state of dejection and sadness, ranging from mild discouragement and downheartedness to feelings of utter hopelessness and despair.  It is one of the most common of all health problems today.  In its milder forms, it is a natural and predictable reaction to every day stress and frustration.
• Mild depression is not always a serious condition and can commonly be traced to such life experiences as loneliness, social or other types of setbacks, (personal or career type setbacks).
• Sadness can be transient, deep-seated or prolonged, and may vary from mere disappointment to utter hopelessness.
• Clinical depression is much more than simply sad feelings or “the blues”.  Clinical depression is a serious illness that causes persistent changes in a person’s mood, behavior and feelings.  If left untreated it may last for a period of up to a year or longer, and repeat its pattern throughout life.  People with clinical depression should seek proper treatment from a licensed health and/or mental health professional.  Treatment may include both mental health counseling and medication interventions.  Such treatment may involve a consultation with your primary care, (family) physician, and a referral to a licensed mental health professional.
• Diagnosis of clinical depression includes the persistent presence of five or more or the symptoms for a period of at least two weeks:  Feelings of sadness or irritability, loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed, changes in weight or appetite, changes in sleep patterns, feeling guilty, helpless of worthless, inability to concentrate, remember things or make decisions, fatigue or loss of energy, restlessness or decreased activity noticed by others, complaints of physical aches and pains for which no medical cause can be determined, or persistent thoughts of suicide or death.    

Types of help:

• Ordinary feelings of sadness or “the blues” typically do not require formal treatment.  If such moodiness is neither persistent not intense there are options for self-management of such emotions.  A person can usually talk it out with a friend or family member, or a “helping” community resource, (ex; minister, colleague, etc), along with the passage of time, can commonly make a difference.  There are also personal self-help activities that a person can engage such as ensuring you are getting enough rest, exercise and pleasurable activities.  Other options include developing routines that provide a reduction of stress and increased sense of well-being.  Be creative.
• For clinical depression, (above symptoms that persist for periods of more than two weeks), the recommended forms of treatment generally include medication, (possibly for a period six month to a year), and consultation/counseling with a licensed mental health professional.  Consult your family physician or a licensed mental health professional for help in re-establishing an improved “quality of life” through such professional help.