Almost half of us will one or more times in a lifetime experience depression. Depression is a common mental health problem. Being depressed can make one feel emotional pain, heavy and destroy the spark of life. But it is possible to get out of a depression, and you can also learn how to prevent it.

If you have depression, you may feel depressed and melancholy, or sour and irritable. Some have trouble concentrating and remembering things. This can also be signs of other diseases, so if you have it like that for long periods, please contact your family doctor for further examination. If it turns out that you have depression, you can stay healthy and get better with the right treatment and their own efforts. It is quite common to have anxiety combined with depression.

Symptoms

Depressed mood, lack of initiative, despair, fear or even anger among what you can know if you are depressed. Bodily symptoms such as insomnia or lack of sleep, abnormally high or abnormally poor appetite can also be signs of depression. Symptoms can vary from person to person. Also remember that all these feelings is something that is occasionally normal and do not necessarily mean that you have a mental health problem that needs treatment. Many times it will go by itself, or after you have talked with a friend or someone else you have good contact with. That is if the hard feelings do not get lost or if they get worse, it might be wise to talk to your doctor or other healthcare professional, such as a school nurse if you are young.

Diagnosis

There is not a specific test that will give you the answers to whether or not you have depression. The usual procedure is to talk with your doctor about how you feel, and possibly answer questions like these: Did you last the last couple of weeks feeling down, depressed and having negative thoughts about the future? Your doctor may also ask you if you have changes in appetite and sleep patterns or other physical symptoms. If it is determine that this may be a depression, it is important to talk about what kind of treatment that might fit.

Treatment

Treatment with drugs should not be the first choice in depression. You can, together with your doctor, assess the need for referral to a psychologist or doctor himself will follow up. Here is an eBook that gives you guidelines for natural diagnosis and treatment of depression.

It is usually best to be in employment, education or your usual activity even if you have depression. It may seem insurmountable, but research shows that work and activity contributes to one getting well quicker. Read more about mental health and working here. Regular physical activity, good sleep quality and a normal healthy diet is good, and will also help to prevent new depression.