Depression is the number one mental illness in America. More than 40 million people a year are affected by it and due to the fact that it is purely psychological, the treatment and road to recovery can become two of the most difficult things to deal with. According to the Mayo Clinic Staff, depression is a mental illness that causes feelings of sadness and/or loss of persistence as well as physical symptoms such as loss of appetite, extreme fatigue, body aches and pains. Depression cannot only be diagnosed by health service professionals and loved ones, but we can also feel when we are suffering from depression. A feeling of unhappiness is one of the main symptoms that can we can notice ourselves as well as by the people around us. Unfortunately, depression can not only have a serious effect on one's life, but in many cases can lead the patient to go as far as taking his/her own life. Suicide.org has shown that depression is responsible for over 30,000 deaths in America, and 1 million worldwide with people ranging from 12-85 years old. From bullying, the loss of a loved one to even a traumatizing event, depression and suicide go hand in hand sharing common symptoms like low self-esteem, extreme feelings of sadness and the desire to not keep on living. Luckily, the United States is home to some of the top psychologists and medical professionals who work tirelessly to help those who suffer from this illness. With not only medical, but also nontraditional practices and passionate people, depression will hopefully become an illness with an easy cure. .
Depression's discovery rate is very different from other diseases like cancer, HIV or diabetes. Due to the patients' denial or lack of realization that they are affected by this illness, depression can go many years without being detected. Because it is mainly psychological, diagnosis with simple tests is very difficult and although many physicians did not believe in self-diagnosis research proved otherwise.