Depression

Clinical depression is a state of intense sadness, melancholia or despair that has advanced to the point of being disruptive to an individual's social functioning and/or activities of daily living. Although a low mood or state of dejection that does not affect functioning is often colloquially referred to as depression, clinical depression is a clinical diagnosis and may be different from the everyday meaning of "being depressed." Many people identify the feeling of being depressed as "feeling sad for no reason", or "having no motivation to do anything." One suffering from depression may feel tired, sad, irritable, lazy, unmotivated, and apathetic. Clinical depression is generally acknowledged to be more serious than normal depressed feelings. It often leads to constant negative thinking and sometimes substance abuse.

Treatment of depression varies broadly and is different for each individual. Various types and combinations of treatments may have to be tried, but without hope in a complete solution to the problem. There are two primary modes of treatment, typically used in conjunction: medication and psychotherapy. A third treatment, electroconvulsive therapy, may be used when chemical treatment fails.

...More at Wikipedia 

Related Links:

• Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
• US National Library of Medicine
• Mayo Clinic

Recent Hope Cube Blog Entries For Depression

• One last try Sun, November 09, 2008 - [view]
  I'm 20 years old, and all I've ever want in my life is happiness. I want a normal life, with normal friends and a normal family, but that just never seems to be the case. My dad left me when I was young, my mom is abusive and punches me and throws things at me, all of my friends never seem to care, etc. I just found out that my sister is actually my step-sister, and my mom had another previous marriage. My mom always tells me that I'm pathetic and I don't deserve to live. Just because I don't have the same religious views as her, she thinks I'm the devil. She threatens me and tells me ways to kill myself, but these past few years I feel like I'm getting weaker by her words, and now I feel like I'm hanging by a thread. My boyfriend tells me that it's a...
• July 5, 2008 Sat, July 05, 2008 - [view]
  I have really slipped to a low that I haven't had in a while.  Last summer we finally got my meds stablized since being diagnosed in 2001.  But this March, 2 days before my birthday, I found out I had cervical cancer.  I have been going through several surgeries and will be having a hysterectomy.  I can't stop crying.  I feel so alone.  I just want to smile and laugh and it seems like I don't know how to any more.  Suggestions welcome. :)
• Life Fri, June 27, 2008 - [view]
  This is one of those things that came out of my head today. I wrote it earlier in the day but thought that is would be a good 1st blog. that way I can be me from the get go. Still smoke free here. Just trying to get though life and all it throws at me. I sit here and think about the roads that I have traveled during my life. Some where fun, some down right OMG wrong turn, but each one of them helped shape the person that I have become, and I am still changing. I guess that is what we are here to do is change, love, laugh, cry, be sad, be happy, that is what it is to live. A few weeks ago we had to say good-bye to a good family friend, I guess that always get you to thinking. But at least I am still here going down the road of life, and have made it thought all the road blocks that I hav...
• I hate the monthly bills! Mon, June 23, 2008 - [view]
  I don't sleep much to begin with.  I used to sleep...love sleep.  You can escape and be anything when your asleep.  I mostly fantasize about what it would be like to have no credit care payments, car payments, credit counselling payments.  Then...I wake up, and it's time to see what bill I have to put aside to pay another.  It is like robbing peter to pay paul.  It's 0630 am.  I just finished looking...(mind you, I said looking, not paying) at the bills.  I love my husband, but if he doesn't start telling me when he spends money, I am going to blow up.  The finances are all I think about.  I am so tired of worrying about them.  I keep telling myself over and over that it is going to be ok,  but will it? &nb...
• hate talk !! Thu, June 12, 2008 - [view]
  today my brother called me a monster,slut and more hateful words. i think he was kidding but it hurt my feelings to hear those words from him.  i feel right now like crying or hurting myself right now. :(