What is depression?

It is important to distinguish between feeling sad, grieving and suffering from a depressive disease. Everyone has felt sad at some point in their life. Sometimes your problems seem insurmountable and the future looks hopeless. It's also natural to feel sad when you experience adversity and loss, for instance in the case of an unhappy love affair, sudden unemployment or bereavement.

But when you are ‘naturally’ sad, your life doesn’t come to a complete standstill. You are still able to take part in activities even though your heart isn't in it. And when something good happens, you can still feel happy about it.

To be naturally sad is therefore not a disease. Sadness and low moods pass. Even if you are experiencing serious grief, it will affect you less with time, though your grief may never completely go away.   However, you can do something to help yourself, and the support of your family and friends will also help you. 

You need to be with others and speak to others about your problems, in order to get better.