A.M. Rosenthal a writer for the New York Times described the difficulty involved in persons to understand the nature and treatment of depression when he wrote, "If a person breaks a leg in the street, civil help tends to help him quickly-ambulances,doctors,pol ice. Break your mind and you lie there."

One of the obstacles in defining depression in the American culture is that the term depression is used for many emotions that a human being feels.

You can be depressed because you had a bad day at work. If a person feels down, they often say, "I am depressed." You can be blue because you broke off a relationship with someone.

Biological Depression is also called endogenous (depression from within). Mental Health Clinicians still use the label exogenous depression to refer to depression that is a reacting to loss. But since the biological model is so widely believed the term exogenous(from without) and its sister term "reactive depression" has been used sparingly.

Clinical depression like other mental illnesses affects your thinking, emotions and your behavior. In order for a correct diagnosis to be made a person should be depressed for at least two weeks. Troublesome thoughts such as feeling like you are a bad parent, husband or partner are common in depression. In depression your short term memory becomes disturbed. You also usually have an inability to concentrate and your ability to make decisions is poor.
A depressed person often has a pervasive sadness. They complain of an inability to experience pleasure (called anhedonia). Depression usually involves tearfulness or sobbing. A depressed person can have a lack of flow of ideas.
Some people especially in moderate depression describe their feelings as numb or that they feel nothing. A person who is depressed can have psychomotor agitation. This can involve pacing, the wringing of hands, and sometimes the twisting of one's hair.
Psychomotor retardation also can be part of depression. Some experts say that the depressed cycle in bi-polar disorder usually involves this slowness of movements and thoughts.
Depression is very common. 6.7 % of Adult Americans in any given year are suffering a depressive episode. It is twice as prevalent in women at it is in men.
Depression and its symptoms are constant and unrelenting. Your whole central nervous system is in disarray.

I like what William Styron said in his book, "Darkness Visible a Memoir of Madness." He said that biological depression should be called a "brain storm".

Learn more about this author, Steven Bloem.
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