suffering from depression
This is a common but serious illness that can be very different in different people or in the same person over time. Treatment can help those with even the most severe depression get better.
Life is full of ups and downs. But when the down times last for weeks or months at a time or keep you from living "normal," you may be suffering from this condition. Depression is a medical illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts. It affects the way you eat and sleep, the way you feel about yourself, and the way you think about life in general.
It is different from feeling "blue" or down for a few hours or a couple of days. Everyone occasionally feels blue or sad, but these feelings usually pass within a couple of days. When a person has depression, it interferes with his or her daily life and routine, such as going to work or school, taking care of children, and relationships with family and friends. Depression causes pain for the person who has it and for those who care about him or her. It is not a condition that can be willed or wished away.