What is depression?什么是抑郁症?

This topic covers depression in adults． For information on depression in young people， see the topic Depression in Childhood and Adolescence1． For information on depression following childbirth， see the topic Postpartum Depression．

本文探讨的主要关于成年人的抑郁症。若需查询关于末成人的抑郁症，请查看“儿童和青年人的抑郁症。产后抑郁症请查看”产后抑郁“。

Depression is a mood disorder2 that causes you to feel sad or hopeless for an extended period of time． More than just a bout3 of the blues4 or temporary feelings of grief or low energy， depression can have a significant impact on your enjoyment5 of life， your work， your health， and the people you care about．

抑郁是在一段时间内持续的一种精神絮乱，它让人感觉悲伤，对生活失去希望。不止发作一次的悲伤心情，或没有精力，抑郁对人们的生活，工作，健康，甚至对周围的人们都会产生很大的影响。

Depression affects people differently． Some feel down for extended periods of time； for others the feelings of depression come and go． If you have short episodes of mild depression， you may be able to continue to work and take care of daily activities． However， if you do not seek some form of treatment for your depression， you are at risk for getting more depressed6 or becoming physically7 ill． In severe cases， depression can cause people to become incapable8 of communicating， unable to do routine activities， or suicidal． In these cases， it is essential to seek medical attention．

抑郁对人们的影响是不同的。有些人经常情绪失落，而有些人只是偶尔有这种情绪。如果你偶尔有这轻微的抑郁，可能你能继续工作，应付日常工作。但，如果不对你的抑郁寻求一些治疗，你可能就会变得更加抑郁，或生病的风险。严重抑郁会导致人无法正常交流，不能进行日常的活动，甚至自杀。在这种情况下，寻求药物治疗就非常重要。

People with depression may be reluctant to seek help because they feel that it is a sign of personal weakness or a character flaw or that they should be able to pull out of it on their own． We now know that depression， like other medical conditions， has a chemical and biological basis． Treatment for depression is safe and usually effective even for severely9 depressed people．

患抑郁的人通常认为它是个人性格上的弱点，或是性格上的缺陷，他们认为能够通过自身的努力消除，从而他们不愿意寻求帮助。我们知道，抑郁和其它的疾病一样，都有生物和化学基础。治疗是安全的，对于患有严重抑郁的人，它通常是非常有效的。

If you think you may have depression， take a short quiz to evaluate your symptoms：

如果你认为你可能有抑郁的话，填写一份简短的测试问卷来分析你的症状。

Are you depressed?你抑郁吗?

What causes depression?什么会引起抑郁?

Depression may be triggered by stressful life events， other illnesses， certain drugs or medications， or inherited traits． Although causes of depression are not entirely10 understood， we know it is linked to an imbalance in brain chemistry． Once the imbalance is corrected， symptoms of depression generally improve．

过高压力的生活事件，其它疾病，一些药物或治疗，或遗传因素等都有有可能引发抑郁。虽然抑郁的起因不能完全搞清楚，但我们知道它和大脑内某种化学物质的失衡有联系。一旦这种失衡被纠正之后，抑郁就会大大的改善。