What Depression is NOT.

Depression is not just something one can snap out of.
Depression is not just a bad attitude.
Depression is not someone just being lazy.
Depression is not someone just "feeling a little sad."
Depression is not hypochondria.
Depression is not fake.
Depression is not imagined.

Let me tell you what depression means for me. I'll then tell you what some medical type people say it is.

Depression to me means I'm exhausted. All the time. No matter how much sleep I did or did not get. It means I almost always have that achey flu feel. My joints are always sore. It means I lay down at night to sleep and take 3 hours to fall asleep because my head cannot stop hashing out things that could go wrong over and over and over again. It means loving my children but not wanting to spend any time with them. Doing things for them but not enjoying them. It means sex with my husband becomes an un enjoyable experience that I just do out of duty. It means mood swings, rage, sobbing, anxiety attacks and on and on.

It's not the same for everyone. But I can tell you this much. It's not fun for anyone.

The Mayo Clinic Defines "Depression"
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/depression/DS00175

Depression Symptoms:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/depression/DS00175/DSECTION=symptoms

Different types of depression and other mental illnesses that can seem like depression:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/depression/DS00175/DSECTION=tests-and-diagnosis

Depression Self Assessment:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/depression/MH00103_D