Depression

Depression (also called unipolar depression or clinical depression) is a mood disorder in which someone has sad feelings, and a loss of interest in life, and when these feelings do not go away.

Many people feel sad, discouraged, or "down" once in a while, but for some people, this mood does not go away. When these problems last two weeks or more, and are so bad that they get in the way of daily living, this is depression.

Depression is treatable. The first step to getting appropriate treatment for depression is a physical examination by a physician or psychiatrist. Treatment choice will depend on the outcome of the evaluation. In addition to prescription drug treatment, depression can be successfully treated with hypnotherapy and other holistic methods such as nutritional support.