Depression is a horrible illness that can cause a person to suffer emotionally, physically, and socially. Depression is not the same thing as grief, though some symptoms are common to both.

Grief is defined as a self-limiting reaction to a loss that requires no medical treatment. Rarely do people suffering from grief have suicidal thoughts, motor-function problems, or feelings of worthlessness. The symptoms of depression are not only in a person's head - they are physical as well. Constipation, poor appetite, and fatigue are just a few of the physical symptoms people struggling with depression can experience.

A depressed person cannot just "snap out of it" or "cheer up" - they are not "weak" or "wimpy" or "over-dramatic". They are drowning in pain, fighting to get out of bed, to perform normal activities that most people can do with no problem. And sometimes they are fighting just to survive. Depression is not "the blues" or a bad mood.

Everyone has days when they feel unhappy or down, but for those suffering from depression that feeling is constant and much more severe. They have lost all interest in their life and perhaps even their loved ones. They can find no point or interest in anything. They are hopeless and too often suicidal. They need help and support.

DSM-IV Symptoms of Depression:

- Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day
- Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in almost all activities
- Significant weight loss or gain, or decrease or increase in appetite
- Insomnia or hypersomnia nearly every day
- Psychomotor agitation or retardation nearly everyday
- Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day
- Feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt
- Reduced ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness
- Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide

Personal Descriptions of Depression:

Here are some descriptions of depression written by members of the BPhoenix1 support group:

"There is no worse feeling in the whole world. It is like nothing matters anymore and nothing is worth getting out of bed for. You have no energy and all you want to do is go to sleep and never wake up again. Everything seems pointless and you can't imagine things ever getting any better again. You don't think the pain will ever end and soon you run out of tears from crying so much and that is when you can think of nothing but wanting to die."
- Kyle K.

"Depression is - anger at myself, panic attacks, plodding about - hating the way people look at me, hating the way i look at myself - i want to be alone - looking at the far end of a dark closet, wrapped up in a blanket - why does everyone talk to me? - hitting walls, hurting myself, er visits - people asking me why i'm sad, getting yelled at for feeling sorry for myself, crying crying crying, can't cry anymore - calling in sick, actually getting sick - sleep, nightmares - i don't care anymore - keep sleeping, why do i have to live like this??? - i want out of here - doing anything to feel better."
- Ben Brown

"It is the evaporation of everything you thought you knew and loved. A deep dark hole that swallows you alive. A hole that keeps getting deeper and deeper until you cannot see the light any longer. A nothingness that consumes you until you become nothing. You hurt emotionally and physically from an injury that comes from deep within you, that suffocates you and steals your soul."
- K.

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