This disorder is caused by a persistent feeling of sadness or despair. Major depressive disorder, and Dysthymic disorder are two very different kinds of depression. Dysthymic disorder is a chronic and ongoing depression that can last up to two years or longer. The average duration for this disorder is 16 years. Major depressive disorder is a moderate to severe episode of depression lasting 2 weeks or more. 1 in 4 women suffer a severe depression in their lifetime.(c) The National Comorbidity survey shows that roughly 11 percent of adolescents experience depression at least once before turning 18. Considering that this is a real illness, Robert Packard points out that individuals living with depression face many of the same problems as those with life threatening diseases such as Cancer.(a) This matters because depression can affect you for a long time and it doesn't just go away. You have to learn to manage …show more content…
Irina Webster, medical doctor, argues that depression is not a real illness, but an adaptive mechanism. Irina says that listening to your intuition, practicing healthy activities, maintaining good relationships, exercising, and eating right can prevent depression. Majorie Wallace says that people who went through a depression, including herself, come out stronger and do recover. Which leads her into saying that there is a positive side to depression.(a) While it may be true that depression can make you a stronger person overall, depression is also the main cause of teen suicide and not all people recover. The suicidal thoughts sometimes take over before teens take the time to listen to their intuition. The National Institute of Mental Health says that 90% of people who die from suicide, suffered from depression. There is 1 suicide every 2 days in Maine. From 2005 to 2009 there were 901 suicides in Maine from depression. Maine has a higher rate for youth suicide than the national average.(a) Almost 4,000 people from ages 15-24 commit suicide each year from being depressed.(c) Depression is and always will be a serious problem. Not everyone has the same mental pain tolerance, therefore not everyone has the capability to