Beginning of Essay
Everybody has "the blues" or "feels down" from time to time. It's normal to feel sad for short periods, especially if something bad had happened in our lives. But those of us who suffer from have much more than "the blues", and our feelings can last for a long ti ....

Middle of Essay
.... is dreary and unlikely to improve; had crying spells; become irritated over little things that didn't used to bother you; find you no longer enjoy hobbies and activities that once made you happy; feel a lack of self-confidence or feeling like a failure; lost your appetite, or are eating more than usual; have had trouble sleeping, or been sleeping too much; had trouble concentrating and making decisions; and thought about death and/or suicide. Knowing the causes for depression can help depressed people, friends, family understand how painful it is and why it's not possible to "snap out of it". It's still not completely clear why depression happens to ....