For one reason or another you’ve found yourself reading this article. Maybe you are feeling down or maybe someone you love is feeling blue. Chances are you or your loved one may be suffering from a chemical imbalance in your brain known as mental depression. The good news is there is help for you.

Mental Depression touches millions of peoples’ lives worldwide. No one is out of reach of this treacherous illness. Those who are lucky enough not to have any time of depression themselves most likely have a family member or friend who struggle with it. Characterized by violent mood swings, uncontrollable emotions, and loss of interest in life itself mental depression can tear even the best lives apart. If left untreated many people will face incredible tragedies in life. Mental depression can lead to family problems, professional problems, social problems, etc. Although most people think of this type of illness as being “in your head” it can actually have a physical impact on your body. It is not uncommon for people suffering from depression to complain of chronic fatigue or pain. This is a cruel cycle as one of the best ways to help “break” a bout of depression is to socialize or participate in some type of group activity. When plagued with physical pain even the mildest cases of depression can be hard to overcome.

There is yet another more serious form of mental depression known as “bi-polar” or “manic” depression. Often times a doctor will prescribe mood stabilizers for these types of patients. Imagine yourself on a rollercoaster ride with the ups and downs. Imagine the ups are your happy moods and the downs are your sad moods. Now everyone has ups and downs. The problem for someone suffering from manic depression is that their ups are much higher and their downs much lower. If you are manic yourself I would venture a guess that you have made a major impulse purchase that you later regretted. Now I don’t mean a small purchase. I mean something along the lines of a car, boat, house, etc. A family member of mine once went out and bought a new sports car the week before he knew his company was to go on strike. He had no way of paying for it but bought it anyway as he was on the “up” track in his rollercoaster. These ups are potentially as dangerous as the lows. Speaking of lows, if a person is suffering from bipolar depression they can often experience an unbearable sense of hopelessness. Often times these feelings can turn suicidal. Whereas a “normal” person accepts bad things can happen in life and works to move past them, someone diagnosed as bipolar may see no point in living.

One of the strongest treatments I’ve come across is support. There may not be a magical pill to cure depression but when a person has friends and family they can turn to and talk to in times of crisis they are much more likely to survive mental depression. There are also many local support groups hosted by counseling centers, churches, and other private organizations. If you are someone you love are struggling there is no reason to be ashamed. Again, MILLIONS of people across the globe struggle with this illness. Your race, religion, financial status, etc has absolutely nothing to do with it. Depression can develop as a result of events that occur in your life but it also may be passed down through genetics. Yes, this illness is considered mental but the root of the problem lies with a physical chemical imbalance of the brain. The worst thing you can do is deny your symptoms or be too embarrassed to get help. People are treated everyday for things they did cause to themselves but mental depression is not one of those things. I encourage you to take action and seek treatment right away if you are experiencing any symptoms of depression. Ultimately the choice is yours but I know you will not regret it once you start taking steps to recovery.