Depression

Depression, or depressive disorder, is more than just feeling sad or going through a difficult time. It can affect one’s mood, thinking, and behavior and requires understanding and professional treatment. Depression is one of the most misunderstood mental illnesses. It affects more than 8% (21 million) American adults and 15% (3.7 million) of America’s youth, ages 12-17, every year. It’s the prolonged feeling of sadness, irritability, emptiness, or a loss of pleasure or interest in activities, for most of the day, nearly every day, for at least two weeks. It’s a very serious disorder that most people, who don’t possess it, aren’t handling those with the disorder with care.

Reference: Depression. (2024). Retrieved from https://mhanational.org/conditions/depression#:~:text=Major%20depression%20is%20one%20of,of%20American%20adults%20each%20year