Depression is a disease. It's caused by changes in the chemicals in the brain. Depression isn't a character flaw, and it doesn't mean that the person is bad or weak. It doesn't mean that he or she is going crazy.

Depression causes a person to feel sad and hopeless much of the time. It's different from normal feelings of sadness, grief, or low energy. The person may lose interest in daily activities and may feel sad and grouchy for a long time.

Many people don't get help because they are embarrassed or think that they'll get over depression on their own. But most people need treatment to get better.

Treatment depends on how severe the depression is and includes medicine, counseling, self-care, or a combination of these. Sometimes a person has to try several types of treatment before finding one that works. Most people feel better in 1 to 3 weeks, but it can take as many as 6 to 8 weeks for treatment to work as well as it can.

Depression is common. Men and women of all ages, ethnic groups, and economic groups can have it. It often runs in families. But it also can happen to someone who doesn't have a family history of depression. A person can have depression one time or many times.

If you've never been depressed, it's hard to understand just how hopeless and discouraged depression can make you feel. Depression can upset your life as much as other major illnesses, and it can make it hard to take care of family, work, and social duties.

Supporting someone who has depression is important because it can:

• Help the person continue treatment. This is the best thing that can happen.
• Boost the person's self-esteem and self-confidence. This helps the person deal better with family, work, school, and daily life.
• Show the person that he or she has a friend. Friendship can show the person that he or she is not alone.

Here are some things you can do to help:

Educate yourself

The more you know about depression, the better you can understand what the person is going through.

• Know what is true about depression, and know the myths about depression.
• Know the warning signs of suicide, such as talking a lot about death or giving things away and writing a will. If you notice them, call the doctor.
• Call or emergency help if you think:
  • The person is going to harm himself or herself or others. For example, the person has a written plan or a weapon or is saving (stockpiling) medicines.
  • The person is hearing or seeing things that are not real.
  • The person seems to be thinking or speaking in a bizarre way that is unlike his or her usual behavior.

Help with professional treatment

If you have permission, you can:

• Help the person set up and get to visits with a doctor or other health professional.
• Help the person manage medicines.
• Know the side effects of medicines and contact the doctor if needed.
• Remind the person who has depression that medicine is important and that the dose or medicine can be changed to reduce or get rid of side effects.

Home support

A person who has depression may feel alone in the world. Your support can help.

• Listen when the person wants to talk. If you're there to help the person talk things through, it may help the person feel better or continue treatment.
• Avoid giving advice. But gently point out that not everything is bad, and offer hope. Urge the person to continue treatment. Don't tell the person that he or she is lazy or should be able to get over it.
• Keep your relationship as normal as you can, but don't pretend that depression doesn't exist or that there isn't a problem.
• Ask the person to do things with you, such as go for walks or to a movie, and encourage the person to continue with favorite activities. If the person says no, then that's okay. But be sure to ask again in the future. Don't push too much, which may make the person feel worse.
• Ask what you can do to help in daily life. You might help with housework or lawn care, getting the kids to school, or running errands.
• Don't be offended. If you are a spouse or are very close to someone, you may feel hurt because the person isn't paying attention to you and may seem angry or uncaring. Remember that your loved one still cares for you but just isn't able to show it.

Take care of yourself

Spending a lot of time with someone who has depression may be hard on you too. These caregiver tips can help:

• Take care of yourself first. Do things you enjoy, such as seeing family or going to movies.
• Don't help too much. A common mistake caregivers make is providing too much care. Even if they don't admit it, people like to help themselves. Take some time off.
• Don't do it alone. Ask others to help you, or join a support group. The more support you have, the more help you can give to the person.

For more information, see the topic Caregiver Tips.

Now that you have read this information, you are better prepared to help someone who has depression.

Some medicines for depression have side effects that cause people to stop taking them. For help in managing any side effects of these medicines, see:

Depression: Dealing With Medicine Side Effects.

Depression: Taking Antidepressants Safely.

If you would like more information on depression, the following resource is available:

Organization