Hello,

I find that the level of awareness about depression or other neurological diseases is very low. So I'm asking a simple question below. The person with the best response will win a special prize.

The question is 'what is depression?'

The best original response as chosen by judges will attract a special prize.

Regards,
Seun.

Now, do we have a shrink in the house?

In psychiatry, depression is a symptom of mood disorder characterized by intense feelings of loss, sadness, hopelessness, failure, and rejection. The two major types of mood disorder are unipolar disorder, also called major depression, and bipolar disorder, whose sufferers are termed manic-depressive.
Encyclopedia, Columbia Univeristy Press.

@Diakim: Sorry, not original. Try again

Depression is when people are hungry and Obasanjo is thinking about building a Presidential Library at an astronomical cost of 7 billion Naira. Its depressing to read.

Ok, I will give it another trial.

Depression is when you wake up in the morning and feel so sad and bad about yourself because there is nowhere to go and you have no money on you.

Depression is when an individual feels, for diverse reasons, bankrupt of any single reason to look forward to waking up, having a bath, getting dressed, stepping out.........living.

People suffering from depression would usually cry and be inconceivably poignant over issues far removed from them ranging from very serious such as the war in Iraq to mundane issues like a wall gecko that appears, to them, lonely. A large majority of sufferers have at one time or the other in their lives considered suicide while others had unfortunately succeeded.

Ra: best response so far, but ...

I think we're not quite a third of the way there. What causes it? Who has it? How many people have it? Where are they? It it an all-or-nothing thing or does it have mild forms? Does it happen suddenly or gradually? Do you know anyone who has experienced it?

Or is depression simply another word for sadness?

depression is now...bored, broke and well just there

seun:

Ra: best response so far, but ...

I think we're not quite a third of the way there. What causes it? Who has it? How many people have it? Where are they? It it an all-or-nothing thing or does it have mild forms? Does it happen suddenly or gradually? Do you know anyone who has experienced it?

Or is depression simply another word for sadness?

You're a slave driver, you!

Uncle Seun, since you are not satisfied with the responses given so far, why don't you give us the meaning of depression? We are waiting to hear from you.

It's caused by an imbalance of brain chemicals, along with other factors. It has no single cause; it results from a combination of things.

The first step in fighting depression is to understand what it is, how it affects you, and what causes it.
While depression can affect anyone, its effect may vary depending on age and gender.
Some of the more common factors involved in depression are:

Family history. Genetics play an important part in depression. It can run in families for generations.


Trauma and stress. Things like financial problems, the breakup of a relationship, or the death of a loved one can bring on depression.

Pessimistic personality. People who have low self-esteem and a negative outlook are at higher risk of becoming depressed. These traits may actually be caused by low-level depression (called dysthymia).

Physical conditions. Serious medical conditions like heart disease, cancer, and HIV can contribute to depression, partly because of the physical weakness and stress they bring on. Depression can make medical conditions worse, since it weakens the immune system and can make pain harder to bear. In some cases, depression can be caused by medications used to treat medical conditions.

Other psychological disorders. Anxiety disorders, eating disorders, schizophrenia, and (especially) substance abuse often appear along with depression.

i feel this discussion should have a time frame...if not i guess it would probably continue ad infinitum

The discussion shall end at a time when I have a satisfactory, original answer!

Depression is a diversion from a state of contentment. When nothing makes sense and it doesn't matter if anything is accomplished .

People who are depressed are looking for answers, usually as to why they are so unhappy. They are looking for means to regain some kind of balance in their lives.

[i]seun, there's no special prize. is there?.

Hello Seun,
since everybody here have tried to explain what depression is and yet you are saying none is correct, I beg you, can u please tell us what depression means. And if any of the above suggestions has gotten it right, you can announce the winner to us.

Seun:
depression na Loss, Change & Grief

Forgive me but I'm no longer in a position to give the prize. Thanks, everyone, for participating!

Gosh.. I thought there was still a gift. I'll just keep my definition to meself.

SEUN:
This na 419

Depression is a state of mind at which the the brain mostly malfunctions, the whole system of the body is sometimes shut down..people who experience loss or hav mostly anxiety disorders are at a high risk of depression

Allan M Duarte is a typical depressed 17 yr old teenage, been to rehab more than 3times[/size[size=8pt]](dont tell him i told you guyz this)

Uncle Seun. We're not in primary school o! What's the prize and who are the judges? Methinks you should put the prize in escrow and lay the terms right. Believe me you'll see the best of Nairaland members. I assure you!

When I have more resources at my disposal I'll start giving out prizes again. Apologies to everyone!

yay! Apology accepted.

clinical depression is a form of bipolar affective disorder characterised by prolonged periods of grief,emotional low and insomnia.Depression cld be mild,moderate or severe of which only the severe type is a form of psychosis, the other two are neuroses though most patients with mania have periods of depression which are not picked up clinically.
Severe depression could also be characterised by genuine suicide ideation ,and another form of severe depression is pueperal blues which is seen in some women just after birth of a child, it could be characterized by infanticide.omo depression na long thing so if u still want more i go dey give u dey go.
to treat depression involves three classes of drugs,
-Tricyclic antidepressants like amitrytiline , nortryptiline
-monoamine oxidase inhibitors like : imipramine ,desipramine and all
then
-selective serotonine re-uptake inhibitors like setraline, paroxethine and co.
anything remain?

Seun, na wa for u o  

Neway, Depression is a gradual process. It's as a result of continuous trials and failure at the end.Financial misery and bad relationships.

Basically, it's a result of a series of bad events and conditions. When nothing seems to make sense anymore  

Seun,
Depression is not sadness. For you to say someone is depressed, he must fulfil the following criteria:

1. Low mood at most times of the the day.
2. Low energy
3 He/she has lost interest in  pleasurable actitivites that usually would stimulate him /her.

Once the three conditions are fulfilled, the guy is depressed.

It is commoner in women. Anybody can be depressed.

Now to classify as minor, major or other classes has other conditions but I have answered your question.

Am I close enough

extreme sadness or extreme happiness

check out my post on depression https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-72772.0.html