If you suffer from depression, you are not alone.

One in four people have a depressive disorder, yet depressive disorders often remain untreated. People often refuse to seek treatment for depression due to shame or stigma. They do not recognize that depression is a disease - a disturbance in mood believed to be caused by a lack of certain chemicals in the brain.

Yet over 80 percent of people with depressive disorders (depression or manic depression) can be successfully treated. If you or someone you know is experiencing these symptoms, please seek help.

Symptoms of Depression

• loss of interest in hobbies or sports or spending too much time on them, to the point of compulsion;
• feelings of sadness, often for no reason at all;
• loss of enjoyment in spending time with family and friends;
• loss of appetite, or compulsive overeating;
• difficulty getting to sleep with sleep restless and broken;
• feeling extremely tired and loss of energy;
• loss of interest in sex;
• thoughts of death or suicide;
• feelings of worthlessness;
• trouble concentrating or making decisions.

Symptoms of Mania

• experiencing persistent "highs" or persistent irritable moods;
• feelings of boundless energy but little need or desire to sleep;
• racing thoughts;
• greatly increased interest in sex;
• speech feels "pressured" as if you can't get the words out fast enough;
• making decisions too fast without factoring the consequences.

If these feelings have been persistent for two weeks or more, please call your family doctor for help. Why live with the pain. There's hope, there's help, and there's effective treatment.