Can't get out of bed? Bummin' on life? It might not be just a
case of the blues. Could be you're battling depression. We all
feel depressed or bummed out from time to time, and it's totally
normal. But when you're feeling completely out of whack for a
couple of weeks, and life's become a real drag, your depression
is serious. So how can you tell the difference between being
depressed or just being in a down, funky mood? The first step is
to understand depression. Depression is not a choice. It's like
an ongoing state of being totally bummed out, and you can't just
snap out of it. Many things can trigger it, like the death of
someone close, unhealthy relationships, family financial
difficulties, or being the victim of any kind of abuse. Luckily,
because depression is an illness, it is treatable. In most
cases, you can get rid of it with medicine that keeps
neurotransmitters (chemicals in the brain that affect moods) in
check. Going to talk-therapy with a professional therapist is
another form of helpful treatm