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When I first find out about depression, I didn't think it made sense. I thought it was a lot of nonsense talked by people making money out of other people's unhappiness. Counselors, therapists, all a waste of time, I thought.

I now know exactly what one particular type of depression is like. I know its causes, its symptoms, and its effects. I know that it is very real. I know that it is treatable, and I know that there can be light at the end of tunnel. I know all this, of course, because I've suffered from it.

There are many different types of depression, and although the causes can be varied, in most cases many of the symptoms are common.

I need to make one thing very clear. There is a very big difference between depression and feeling miserable. I'm a Watford soccer supporter for goodness sake; I know what it is to feel miserable! It is ok to feel miserable because your football team has lost. It is ok to feel miserable because it is raining. It is ok to feel miserable because there's nothing good on television. That is just feeling miserable. It is part of life.

Clinical depression is something very different from feeling miserable. It is an all consuming misery that is like a blanket over your head. It is a feeling that there is no point to anything. It is a feeling where each and every day is a struggle to survive. It is a feeling of total helplessness and hopelessness. Without recognizing it as depression and getting professional help, there is nothing you can do. Some days may be better than others, but the overwhelming feeling is one of misery. If you've suffered with it, you will know exactly what I mean.

Depression is actually very common. The Uplift Programme, www.upliftprogramme.com states that it is estimated that 9.5% of the adult population of America will suffer from some sort of Depression in any given year. That is 18.8 million American adults. Staggeringly, it is believed that 80% of sufferers seek no medical help.

One of the difficulties for a sufferer of depression is accepting the fact that they have a mental illness. That was certainly an issue for me. You actually do ask yourself the question. Am I mad?' The answer, unfortunately, is basically yes. That doesn't mean you are a fruit cake, but it does mean you have an illness of the mind that needs proper, expert medical help. You are not mad, bad, or stupid. You are ill. It is just the same as if you had the flu, or any other illness. It isn't your fault.

So what are some of the common symptoms

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