Four steps to understand and get help for depression:

1. Look for signs of depression.
2. Understand that depression is a real illness.
3. See your doctor. Get a checkup and talk about how you are feeling.
4. Get treatment for your depression. You can feel better.

Step 1
Look for signs of depression.

Read the following list.

Put a check mark by each sign that sounds like you:

(  )  I am really sad most of the time.
(  )  I don’t enjoy doing the things I’ve always enjoyed doing.
(  )  I don’t sleep well at night and am very restless.
(  )  I am always tired. I find it hard to get out of bed.
(  )  I don’t feel like eating much.
(  )  I feel like eating all the time.
(  )  I have lots of aches and pains that don’t go away.
(  )  I have little to no sexual energy.
(  )  I find it hard to focus and am very forgetful.
(  )  I am mad at everybody and everything.
(  )  I feel upset and fearful, but can’t figure out why.
(  )  I don’t feel like talking to people.
(  )  I feel like there isn’t much point to living, nothing good is going to happen to me.
(  )  I don’t like myself very much. I feel bad most of the time.
(  )  I think about death a lot. I even think about how I might kill myself.

If you checked several boxes, call your doctor. Take the list to show the doctor. You may need to get a checkup and find out if you have depression.

Step 2
Understand that depression is a real illness.

Depression is a serious medical illness that involves the brain. But, there is hope. Depression can be treated and you can feel better. Depression is not something that you have "made up in your head." It’s over just feeling "down in the dumps" or "blue" for a few days. It’s feeling "down" and "low" and "hopeless" for weeks at a time.

About 19 million Americans have depression. It can happen to anyone, no matter what age you are or where you come from.

Depression can make it very hard for you to care for yourself, your family, or even hold down a job. But, there is hope. Depression can be treated and you can feel better.

What causes depression?

You may want to know why you feel "depressed." There may be several causes.

• Depression may happen because of changes in your brain.

• Depression runs in some families. This means that someone in your family such as a grandparent, parent, aunt, uncle, cousin, sister or brother may have depression.

• Sometimes painful events or losses such as deaths can lead to depression.

• Sometimes the cause of depression is not clear.

Step 3
See your doctor.

Don’t wait. Talk to your doctor about how you are feeling. Get a medical checkup to rule out any other illnesses that might be causing signs of depression. Ask if you need to see someone who can evaluate and treat depression.

If you don’t have a doctor, check your local phone book. Go to the government services pages (they may be blue in color) and look for "health clinics" or "community health centers." Call one near you and ask for help.

Step 4
Get treatment for your depression. You can feel better.

There are two common types of treatment for depression: (1) medicine and (2) "talk" therapy. Ask your doctor which type is best for you. Some people need both treatments to feel better.

Medicine

Medicines for depression are called "antidepressants." Your regular doctor or a psychiatrist (a medical doctor trained in helping persons with depression) can prescribe them for you.

Antidepressants may take a few weeks to work. Be sure to tell the doctor how you are feeling. If you are not feeling better, you may need to try different medicines to find out what works best for you.

Medicines sometimes cause unwanted "side effects." You may feel tired, have blurred vision, or feel sick to your stomach. Tell the doctor if you have these or any other side effects.

It takes courage to ask for help! There is help out there for Depression