Facts about Depression:

• Depression can be characterized by three categories of symptoms, including mood, physical and cognitive changes.

• Clinical depression is a serious medical illness that prevents a person from functioning normally.

• Clinical depression can co-occur and complicate other medical conditions.

• Clinical depression can lead to suicide.

• More than 19 million Americans suffer from clinical depression, regardless of age, gender, race and socioeconomic status.

• Sometimes people with depression mistakenly believe that the symptoms of depression are a "normal part of life."

• Two-thirds of those suffering from the illness do not seek the necessary treatment.

• More than 80 percent of all cases of clinical depression can be effectively treated with medication, psychotherapy or a combination of both.