Depression is more than just a feeling, it is a serious medical condition called a major depressive disorder. In my opinion, this mental illness is much more serious than other physical illnesses. Patients that suffer from depression may not be able to live a normal life. Furthermore, some patients choose to end their own lives. Depression is just like any disease and it can be curable.

 Symptoms of depression:

• Losing interest in things they used to enjoy.
  
• Feeling sad and in a bad mood.
  
• Aggressively eating or losing appetite.
  
• Lacking sleep, or sleeping too much.
  
• Feeling worthless.
  
• Suicidal thoughts.

Risk Factors

1. Genetics; If you live with a depressed family member, there is a 70% chance that you will get depression. 
2. Biochemistry; Altering certain chemicals in the brain may lead to depression. 
3. Personality; Lacking self-esteem, and a weak personality may lead to depression. 
4. Environmental exposure; Poverty, exposure to violence, neglect, and abuse are all leading to depression.

Treatments of depression:

Luckily, depression is somehow easy to be treated. Some patients will overcome it by themselves, while others may need medical treatment. Patients will visit the doctor to discuss their options, they can be treated with medicine prescribed by the doctor, or they might need psychotherapy (Talk therapy), where they visit a psychiatrist to talk about their sadness.

Examples of antidepressants:

• Amitriptyline
  
• Celexa (citalopram)
  
• Zoloft (sertraline)
  
• Prozac (fluoxetine)
  
• Lexapro (escitalopram)

Words from the heart:

Everyone will experience sadness and depression no matter how his or her life may seem perfect. It is okay to experience those negative feelings because we are humans after all. The most important thing is not to surrender to those bad feelings and try to overcome them as soon as possible. My advice is if you ever feel down and lose interest in life just remember that you are blessed by many blessings that you are not aware of. Follow your passion, find things that you enjoy, surround yourself with positive people, and stay away from the negative ones.