What is depression and why do people become depressed?

Question

are they just walking down the road some day and they burst out crying?

Answer 1

Think of a time of extreme sadness, like when your dog died, and imagine feeling that 24/7. You aren't sure when or if you will start to feel better. That is what it is like to experience depression. It can also show as extreme apathy. Remember when you were faced with something incredibly boring, like reading the dictionary or writing a dull essay. You feel the same apathy and lack of interest in things you normally love.

A combination of biological and psychological factors are believed to determine if someone will suffer from depression or not. The psychological part is too complex for me to explain, so if you want to better understand it I'd suggest doing some research. I'll take a stab at the biological part though.

The brain shoots out signals between nerve cells to send messages throughout the brain. One of these signals is called serotonin and it affects mood. In depression, it is believed that the brain produces too little serotonin or serotonin spends too little time travelling in the brain, getting absorbed by the nerve cells too fast. In layman's terms, the more time serotonin spends shooting between your brain connections the better your mood will be. Antidepressants either cause your brains to shoot out more serotonin or blocks the part the reabsorbs serotonin. This helps improve your mood. However, it is usually ineffective unless you also deal with the psychological part of the problem through therapy.

This is the best job of explaining why people get depression and what it feels like I can do right now. I also included some links that deal with it in more complex and simpler terms. I hope it helps.

Answer 2

Depression and Depressive illness are different. Former can come to all human at different point of time. Later is a clinical problem, causes can be many which require treatment like medicines and therapy.  

Answer 3

Lack of seratonin in the brain.

Yes, someone could indeed be walking down the street and suddenly burst out crying.  I've seen it, I've done it.

I suggest going to NIMH's (National Institure of Mental Health) website to read up on the subject.

If you are suffering this, take note that you ARE NOT CRAZY!

Answer 4

it is a state of emotional and psychological dysfunction...

it basically is caused by the pro longed inability to cope with something unsatisfactory...

Answer 5

it's when you start to think too much or worry about something? the rule is, keep it light!

Answer 6

A mental state characterized by a pessimistic sense of inadequacy and a despondent lack of activity

A feeling of insufficiency gives raise to unknown fear.Fear becomes chronic which leads to depression.

Educating oneself is the only remedy  

Answer 7

Depression is like being sad all the time. Having sad thoughts, having self pity. I think it is caused from a low amount of a hormone called serotonin. I guess if there is a change in levels of serotoinin in the brain your mood might alter. Depression sucks it's like waking up everyday and feeling like EVERYTHING is hopeless. If depression isnt treated it could lead to suicide.

Answer 8

I know in my opinion and personal experience. Depression sneaks up on a person. I never acknowledge the fact that I had it before. But now that I think back it was hard to miss. Its not a specific thing that triggers depression, but maybe certaing events and things that happened in a persons life that hurt them or left a lasting negative impression.

Depression does different things to different people. I didnt like going out as much as I did, I started closing myself off to others. I didnt enjoy the things that I use to. Its a hard thing to deal with, but eventually everyone gets thru it.