The word depression is used in many different ways. Everyone can feel ‘blue’ when bad things happen. People with the 'blues' may be depressed short-term, but will generally manage to cope with their feelings and recover without treatment. The type of depression that is concerning from a mental health perspective is clinical depression. Clinical depression lasts at least two weeks, and affects the person's behaviour, and has physical, emotional and cognitive effects. Depression is a common but serious illness, and can be recurrent. If depression goes unaddressed for a long time, it can cause significant damage to a personal mental and physical health.

RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH DEPRESSION

If untreated, depression can significantly affect a person's life. Dangers can include:

• Suicide of Self-Harm - sometimes, instead of dealing with their feelings or sharing their thoughts with someone else, it is not uncommon for a person with depression to have suicidal thoughts or to self-harm. This can happen at any stage during depression, so intervention is needed as soon as someone is showing any of the above symptoms.
• Addiction or Substance abuse - some people find alcohol or drugs a coping mechanism which helps them escape from their depression. However, this often compounds their condition and makes it worse, as well as having a significant detrimental effect on their physical health.
• Physical Health - a person who is depressed is less likely to be concerned about their physical health; they may give up exercise, over eat, or not eat at all, have irregular sleep patterns, all of which can them push them into further depression.
• Relationships and Social Issues - quite simply; depression wreaks havoc on a person's relationships, often shutting out those people closest to them, and withdrawing from social interactions. People suffering from depression often have low self-esteem, mood imbalances, and can show aggressive tendencies, which can also significantly affect those around them.

TYPES OF DEPRESSION

• Major Depression - is when a person has a continuous low mood that doesn't go away.
• Psychotic Depression - this is when a person has low moods and deep melancholy, but also episodes of agitation, hallucinations, vocal outbursts, and a lack of body coordination.
• Persistent Depressive Disorder - normally less intense than major depression, and it doesn't last as long, but the symptoms are more or less the same.
• Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) - this comes and goes with the seasons and sunlight; the most common happens at the onset of autumn, when nights start to draw in, and can often persist until late spring/early summer when the daylight hours are longer.
• Manic Depression - usually associated with bipolar disorder.
• Postpartum Depression - usually triggered by the sudden life change of a new or first time mother, as well as the changes in hormones in the mother that occur at this time. Can last from a few weeks to a few months.
• Premenstrual depression - normally starts a few days before a female's monthly cycle, and and finished a few days into the cycle, often resulting in low moods, anxiety, panic attacks and spells of crying. 

Twelve common symptoms of clinical depression:

• An unusually sad mood that doesn’t go away.
• Bursting into tears or crying for no apparent reason.
• Loss of enjoyment and interest in activities that used to be enjoyable.
• Lack of energy and tiredness.
• Loss of confidence.
• Feeling guilty when they are not really at fault.
• Suicidal thoughts.
• Looking unkempt.
• Be slow moving or speaking slowly.
• Difficulty in concentration and decision making.
• Difficulty in sleeping, or sleeping too much.
• Loss of interest in food or eating too much. Changes in eating habits leading to loss of weight OR putting on weight.

SUMMARY

Providing support for someone with depression can save a person's life from irreversible damage, as well as helping reassure them that there is still hope.