Black Hole of Depression

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It is that cold sense of apathy that waits below the surface, playing with your emotions and your ability to react to your surroundings. As one Australian author noted, “Depression is a prison, where one is both the suffering prisoner and the cruel jailer” (Rowe). According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, “Depression is defined as a state of feeling sad or a serious medical condition in which a person feels very sad, hopeless, and unimportant and often is unable to live in a normal way” (“Depression”). It is a start of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person’s thoughts, behavior, feelings, and sense of well-being, it also viewed as a sickness (Salmans). Depression does not just hurt the people who are living with it; it also has an effect on the people around them. Americans are fanatical about happiness, yet increasingly depressed: Some 15 million Americans battle with it. Cross-cultural studies of happiness may shed light on this paradox (Sharma). When people experience happiness or depression both can overwhelm one and leave one speechless. Both are able to elevate blood pressure, heart rate, or hormonal production. Unlike Depression, Happiness is a choice. Randy Taran an author from the Huffington Post wrote, “Although we can't control our circumstances, we can influence how we respond to them.” Yet for depression one has no choice, despite of how much one would try depression can and will take over the everyday lifestyle. Depression can lead to emotional and physical problems. Typically, people with depression find it hard to go about their day-to-day activities, and may also feel that life is not worth living (Nordqvist). "When you are depressed, the past and the future are absorbed entirely by the ... ... middle of paper ... ...e National Alliance on Mental Illness." NAMI. NAMI, n.d. Web. 26 May 2014. Nordqvist, Christian. "What Causes Depression and What Is Depression." Medical News Today. MediLexicon International, n.d. Web. 20 May 2014. Persaud, Raj, Dr. "Being Religious or Spiritual Is Linked With Getting More Depressed." The Huffington Post UK. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2014. Rowe, Dorothy. "Depression Quotes." Depression Quotes. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2014. Sharma, Sahil. "Official Website-Sahil Sharma." America's Emotion. Sahil Sharma, n.d. Web. 20 May 2014. Solomon, Andrew. "Anatomy of Melancholy." Andrew Solomon Anatomy of Melancholy Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2014. Taran, Randy. "Is Happiness a Choice?" The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 27 Jan. 2014. Web. 20 May 2014. Wongmo, T. "Depression - a Buddhist View." Depression - a Buddhist View. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2014.

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