Just place a check mark (click) next to any feelings, symptoms, or problems you have had for at least for the previous two (2)  weeks:

Depression is an illness, not a weakness

• Death -- A certain amount of sadness, which could qualify as a major depression, is appropriate when we experience " grief," and mourn the loss of someone we loved or cared about. If grief becomes         " unresolved," and will not go away -- usually within two months, then the mourner may now be experiencing a major depression. Loss will result in on-going sadness, especially with "triggers" and     " reminders." However, a person who cannot function or remains reclusive after two to three months time has now also become clinically depressed.
• A major loss or setback -- possibly the loss of a job with one company that one has held for twenty years in which the company has become " family" and " identity" for that person. With any major loss, " grieving" must take place in order to make way for something or someone new. Although aging itself is not and should not be a cause of depression, often losses and unresolved issues or grief need to be addressed by older adults. These can include the loss of youth, health, friends, position, money, independence, and lifelong partners.
• Medical diagnosis or chronic illness -- A diagnosis is often sudden and unexpected, even if symptoms have been experienced for some time. We are often able to deny an illness until the moment a physician or health practitioner gives that illness a name: You have cancer, clogged arteries in the heart, a heart attack, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis. A medical diagnosis will often " jolt a person" into disbelief and even depression. The medical disorder itself may also contribute to the depression.
• Unresolved self-esteem issues -- Often this kind of depression is triggered by negative self talk. This kind of self talk becomes so automatic that the person doesn't even realize what they are saying to themselves. Repeated phrases include: " I can't do this, I'm a failure" or " I'm just stupid." Repeated self-battering results in self-fulfilling prophecies and can cause clinical depression.
• Medical condition -- Although a medical diagnosis may result in depression, not everyone becomes depressed with a given diagnosis. A person can develop a positive mindset and focus on recovery. However, some medical conditions themselves can cause depression and so the medical condition requires treatment in order to eliminate the depression. Hypothyroidism ( sluggish thyroid) is an example of a medical condition where one of the symptoms is depression.
• Trauma -- This could be a traumatic event such as a sudden train accident or years of sexual or emotional abuse.
• Medications -- There are medications that can cause depression as a side effect. This is why your health care practitioner and any prescribing physicians must know all medications you are taking ( including herbal and over-the-counter remedies).
• Chemical substances -- This especially includes alcohol, which is a known depressant, as well as other drugs including sleeping pills, uppers and cocaine (when crashing) or morphine. 
• Untreated psychological disorders -- These include subclinical depressions, such as dysthymia, in which a person is chronically sad most of the time, and has been this way for years. Undiagnosed and untreated Post-traumatic Stress Disorder; undiagnosed or untreated bipolar disorder ( extremes of sadness and happiness/ excessive behaviors [sexual/spending/drinking]) and other conditions, which may run in families.

If you have the signs or symptoms of depression, then a thorough evaluation should be seriously considered -- both physical and psychological. You may be a candidate for antidepressant therapy to replenish some important neurotransmitters in your brain, and/or in need of some short term, yet focused therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy has proven to be one of the most effective treatments for depression.

Other helpful suggestions for less serious depressions and for taking some control are:

• If at all possible, exercise every day, which releases endorphins and reduces stress.
• Find a good friend you can trust and talk to about your concerns.
• Practice telling yourself positive phrases: " I will feel better soon!" and argue with any negative voices.
• Practice relaxation techniques and some relaxed deep breathing.
• Give yourself permission to be " down" if you have good reason to feel sad. Take fifteen minutes out of the day to " feel sad," and then try and go on with your normal activities.
• Volunteer your time where it is needed or care for someone's pet. (See Our Pet Friends)
• Laugh out loud!

If the above suggestions aren't helpful and your depression is more serious, then professional help is needed to help you deal with the disorder or problem and treat it effectively. There are also many helpful references related to depression in the Bibliotherapy section. ( If you have suicidal thoughts, see If You're Suicidal.)

Bibliography

Beck, Aaron T, et al:  Cognitive Therapy of Depression, Guilford Press, NY, 1979

Burns, David D. The Feeling Good Handbook, Plume/Penguin, NY, 1989

Frazer, Alan, et al: Biological Bases of Brain Function and Disease, Raven Press, NY, 1994

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