About one in seven of us on average will suffer from depression, though it proportionately afflicts more females than males up to the age of 50. According to the World Health Organization, clinical depression seems set to be second to heart disease by 2020 as the worlds major disabling disease.



That doesnt mean that because you happen to feel a bit down, or drift or sit around , full of misery and generally hating the world around you, particuliarly after a genuine major loss or upset, you have real depression, (although major depression can be created by a massive negative incident, or incidents, in your life).

The nature of depression is very much a matter of quality and quantity,and possibly heredity.

If the depressive behavior, negative outlook, along with intense feelings of emptiness,guilt,worthlessness and unhappiness continue for long periods of time without real cause, prevent you living and functioning normally, and return regularly, or never leave you, thenit is very likely you are developing Clinical Depression.

Here are more possible symptoms:-

- You feel tired most of the time, with no reserves of energy you can call on.

- Sometimes just a minor chore seems too much effort.

- You suffer from aches and pains that appear to have no physical cause.

- You lose your taste for general pleasures- off intimacy, hobbies or food.

- Conversely you may stuff junk food for comfort.

- You repeatedly feel tense and anxious for no reason.

- You don't want to be around people, or make the effort to chat or socialize.

- Conversely, you may fear being left on your own.

- You cant think clearly and at length.

- You dwell on what has gone wrong and could go wrong in the future.

- Life seems pointless, unfair and owned by other people.

- You are a powerless onlooker or victim of circumstances.

- You think about death and suicide a great deal.

- You cant get to sleep or wake up early and can't sleep again.

If you have a 'high score', you need to take effective action before your health-and wealth-are wrecked beyond repair.

Clinical depression is simply depression that needs clinical treatment, and tends to be a catch-all term doctors use when diagnosing a patient presenting persistent but variable severe depression. In fact, the other name of clinical depression,major depressive disorder is more accurate, because a disorder better describes the varied, sometimes overlapping symptoms of those caught up in clinical depression.

Fortunately, in spite of being a wide ranging disorder, clinical depression CAN usually be treated successfully. Doctors can call on a wide and growing range of effective drugs and therapies, and you can be optimistic that patients with major depressive disorder should be well on their way towards more positive happier mental outlook after they have received individualized treatment.

Patients who have gone as far as seeking treatment for clinical depression have proven to be quite successful in their quest, given that 80 percent of actual clinical depression patients have found relief from their disorder when correctly treated by professionals.

So the effort to escape WILL pay off.

If you are continually depressed-or concerned about someone elses depression-you may get some initial guidance on any apparent clinical depression symptoms or related questions via books reports and discussion groups on and offline, and sites such as this-which can offer a lot of helpful information with regards to clinical depression ,

However, some direct contact with a suitable professional such as your doctor at an early stage, is highly recommended, as untrained medication/treatment could be ineffective and damaging.

Dont be fooled if clinical depression may not appear to pose such an immediate danger as other forms of depression!

Uncontrolled depressive behaviour can ruin or destroy your life, and needs to dealt with by trained professionals who can suitably diagnose and treat this disorder, and enable you in getting your life and lifestyle back on track, and stay healthy on or off computing,

through 2006 and beyond!