Depression is not something you can just "snap out of." It's caused by an imbalance of brain chemicals, along with other factors. Like any serious medical condition, depression needs to be treated.

This site offers information designed to help you get the facts and learn how to manage depression, clinically known as major depressive disorder.

Depression can make you feel hopeless and helpless. But just taking the first step—deciding to get treatment—can make all the difference.

If you've been diagnosed with depression, you may wonder why it had to happen to you. The fact is that anyone can get depression.

The next step in fighting depression is to understand what it is, how it affects you, and what causes it.

Even after you've learned that you have depression and sought treatment for it, you won't feel better right away. Depression can be frustrating, because recovering from it takes time.

While you do have to be patient, there are still some steps you can take now to help yourself feel better.