Depression is a serious medical condition in which a person feels very sad, hopeless, and unimportant and is often unable to live normally. It brings together a variety of physical and psychological symptoms that together constitute a syndrome. In the United States, at least 10% of Americans will experience major depressive disorder at some point in their lives. Twice as many women as men suffer from major depression, the so-called common cold among psychological disorders. Like the common cold, there are many types of depression. Depression comes in many forms. Different types of depression have unique symptoms, causes, and effects. Knowing what type of depression you have can help you manage your symptoms and get the most effective treatment. The most general and popular depression is major depression. “Major depression is characterized by the inability to enjoy life and experience pleasure” (Smith 1). Symptoms are constant, but range from severe to moderate. Major depression is most often a recurring disorder, but some people, although rare, only experience a single episode. Dysthymia is a mild, recurrent depression, in which you find yourself for several days "mildly or moderately depressed, although you may have brief periods of normal mood" (Smith 1). The symptoms are not as strong and obvious as those of major depression, but they last longer, such as two years. A condition known as "double depression" occurs when people have both major depression and dysthymia. People with dysthymia feel like they have always been depressed or may believe that being in a bad mood is normal because they have lived that way for a long time. On the other hand, cyclothymia is another type of depression whose causes are all mentioned, but the longer it goes without treatment or diagnosis, the more dangerous the situation becomes. Seeking help is the first step in the recovery process. Most of the time, depression can be treated and cured. The important thing is to recognize depression and talk to someone about it, whether it's a family member, a friend, or even yourself. Works Cited Deborah. “What does depression look like?” » Wing of madness. Np, July 1, 2013. Web. March 26, 2014. Ingber, Sasha. “Are animals depressed? » National Geographic Daily News. NationalGeographic, October 4, 2012. Web. March 26, 2014. Levinson, Douglas and Walter Nichols. “Major depression and genetics. » Genetics of brain function. Stanford Medicine, 2014. Web. March 25, 2014. Smith, Melinda, Joanna Saisan and Jeanne Segal. “Depression symptoms and warning signs.” Help guide. Np, February 2014. Web. March 25 2014.