Everybody gets sad once in a while. It’s normal to feel sad on a rainy day, get sentimental over a lost person, or feel lonely during really low moments of your life.

Once depression gets out of your hands, it can wreak destruction on your mental state and drive you to emotional lows. In the worst cases, depression can get you to the point that you might think about or even really choose to end your life. So if you think you’re experiencing extreme emotional lows, then you must do something about this.

But how would you know if it’s only a normal sadness or is it depression?

Depression shows some signs (symptoms): feeling sad without any apparent reason, getting mad at anything, everything, anyone, and everyone around you, thinking that your life has no purpose, feeling of failure, feeling that you’re not good enough for anything, always feeling tired, feeling that there is no more hope for solving your problems, - and the worst - feeling that you don’t deserve to live anymore.

These are some of the most common symptoms of depression. Recognizing these signs can help you to take action before it becomes more serious.

Knowing the root cause of these symptoms enhances the chances of recovery.

The reasons behind depression are always related with your state of mind, environment, and/or present circumstances. You may feel low if you are having issues at work, marriage or your financial balance. The process of resolving these problems may result in stress. And stress may cause physical symptoms: head aches, muscle aches, back aches. Emotional pain coupled with physical ills can really affect the way you view your life.

Depression can also be caused by bad experiences: the death of someone you love, loss of something significant, your kid having an accident, humiliating event at your workplace or school, traumatic environment at home. Some people manage to bypass easier unpleasant events, but some more sensitive persons are getting depressed and let these events to haunt them a long time.

The best way to treat depression is to think positively. Do like Herm Albright said: "A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.";-). Thinking negatively about a problem would only aggravate the problem – or at least the way you see it. You must think: "This is the problem. So what? The sun will rise again tomorrow morning, anyway." There is a solution to every problem, yours included. Sulking about the problem won’t do any good.

Unfortunately, not all people think that way. This is when depression shows it’s ugly face. You start thinking "I’m the unluckiest person alive. No one is there when I need help. It’s better to die than suffer all this miserable life…"

Do you think this way? If so, you need to go to a psychiatrist to ask for help. Various drugs can help you cope with depression. However, these medications treat not the actual cause of depression, but the symptoms. Complete recovery is only on your hands, but mostly on your ability to have a positive outlook in life. Of course this is much easier said than done. Asking for medication is not the first thing you must do when you go to a psychiatrist. The first thing you must ask your psychiatrist is help in developing a positive outlook and in controlling your depressive mood swings.

Depression is a serious disease. It causes emotional and mental breakdown, and it can result to suicide if left untreated. Depression should be diagnosed immediately. It is not a disorder that is easy to cure; but a depressive person must always remember: no one is alone in the world. Even if you live a very discreet and lonely life, there’s at least one person out there who cares for you. You’re a strong person. You’re not alone. Don’t let yourself lose the battle. Don’t let depression win. Keep your loved ones close to you and you will feel invincible.