It is normal for people to feels sad or low sometimes, but these feelings usually pass with a little time.  But with clinical depression or other depressive disorders, people experience distressing symptoms that affect how they feel, think, and handle daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, or working.

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 It is important to recognize that depression is not a sign of personal weakness or a condition that can be willed or wished away. People with depression cannot merely "pull themselves together" and get better.  No two people are affected the same way by depression and there is no "one-size-fits-all" for treatment. It may take some trial and error to find the treatment that works best for you.  Often a combination of therapy and medication is successful.