Depression is a
             psychiatric disorder characterized by feelings of
             worthlessness, guilt, sadness, helplessness, and
             hopelessness. It is different then normal sadness or
             grief from the loss of a loved one because it is
             persistent and severe. Clinical depression has
             many related symptoms trouble sleeping, eating
             disorders, withdrawal and inactivity,
             self-punishment, and loss of pleasure. People that
             are depressed do not like to do things they may
             usually like to. Surveys that have been taken that
             show approximately 20 in 100 people suffer from
             depression at any one time. About one if four
             Americans will suffer from a depression over the
             course of their lifetime. Depression strikes men
             and women of all ages, in all races, but most
             studies indicate that women are more often
             afflicted. There are two major forms of depression
             that people get. One form is called depressive
             disorder. It is diagnosed only by episodes of
             depression. Episodes can be short or long but are
             usually brought about by an incident in a persons
             life. An example of this is if someone close to them
             dies. The other kind is called bipolar or manic
             depressive illness, it is recognized by alternating
             depressed and manic episodes. This is an actual
             brain dysfunction. In the major depression or the
             depressed phase of bipolar illness, a depressed
             mood predominates, even though the patient may
             not be aware of feeling sad. Typically, he or she
             loses all interest in activities. Symptoms include
             sleep disturbances, not able to concentrate or to
             make decisions, loss of appetite or greatly
             increased appetite, slowed thinking and decreased
             energy feelings of worthlessness, guilt,
             hopelessness, diminished sexual interest, and
             recurrent thoughts of suicide and death, sometimes
             leading a person to actually committing suicide. In
             the manic phase of bipolar disorder the patients
             behavior is bizarre and sometimes obnoxious.
             Symptoms of this are the per...