function prozac_depression() { document.writeln('An Illness, Not a Weakness

\ Depression is a common medical illness. More than 18 million Americans suffer from some type of depression, and one in eight people needs treatment for depression during his or her lifetime. Depression is not a character flaw. It is neither a "mood" nor a personal weakness that you can change at will or by "pulling yourself together."

\ Depression has become a topic of great interest. Regularly, we hear it discussed on TV and see it written about in newspapers and magazines. With the growing awareness that depression is an illness with probable biological causes, people may find it easier to share their fears and feelings with their family and others.

\ Who Gets Depressed?

\ Everyone can—including famous people. There are several well-known persons among the list of those who battled the debilitating illness: Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Vincent Van Gogh, Mark Twain, Winston Churchill, Marilyn Monroe, Ernest Hemingway—the list goes on. In fact, anyone can develop clinical depression. Generals (George S. Patton), princesses (Diana Spencer), presidents (Calvin Coolidge, Richard Nixon), scientists (Primo Levi, Salvador Luria), prime ministers (Winston Churchill, Menachem Begin), athletes (Ty Cobb), and dancers (Vaslov Nijinsky) have suffered from depression. No occupation, race, gender, or age is immune to this illness.

\ Bad News and Good News

\ The bad news:\ \ Now the good news:\ \ If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with depression, effective treatment strategies that can help you feel good again are available. With treatment, you can take back your life, feel renewed, and enjoy your family, friends, and community.

\ Remember:\ '); }