When we hear of someone being diagnosed with mental depression, we immediately tend to visualize them locked away in a padded cell, complete with the infamous straight jacket. Isn't it amazing what the film industry can do, because of course this perception of mental depression couldn't be further from the truth?

Admittedly, mental depression is a serious medical condition, but that's not to say that a manic depressive person needs to be confined away from society. In order to better understand this condition, you first need to brush aside all those stereotype perceptions. Secondly, you need to acknowledge the fact that mental depression can in fact be cured. Alarmingly enough, if statistics are anything to go by, approximately 15 million people in America suffer from mental depression each year, but unfortunately only a fraction of them end up seeking help.

Bear in mind that this type of mental ailment can affect anyone, irrespective of race, culture or creed. Of course many people believe that depression is more prevalent between those in the lower income brackets, due to the accompanying financial stress often experience by those in this group. However, you should bear in mind that even the wealthy have financial problems, and in many cases these are significant enough to result in huge amounts of stress. As such, mental depression is certainly not more prevalent in any one social class. Likewise, nobody is immune to mental depression, irrespective of age.

As is the case with practically all conditions, the sooner mental depression is diagnosed, the easier it is to treat, but unfortunately, these signs are not always that easy to see. Don't forget, there's a significant difference between depression and severe depression, or mental depression. While depression is for the most part a relatively mild temporary condition, mental depression is a serious condition which can have a significant impact on person's life. Such is the seriousness of mental depression that it is estimated that approximately 4% of those who suffer from it will end up taking their own lives. Likewise, statistics tell us that out of all the people who commit suicide each year, approximately 60% of them were suffering from one form of depression or another at the time they took their life. Over and above those who commit suicide, people who suffer from depression on a regular basis also tend to have a shorter lifespan then those who don't suffer from depression.

Even though depression doesn't have the same stigma attached to it as it once did, many people still continue to see it as being a sign of weakness or mental instability. This is backed up by the fact that even though woman are more likely to suffer from depression than what men are, suicide rates are higher between men than they are between women. This is largely because, men are for the most part reluctant to seek help because they view it has a weakness. This is also why, men and woman respond to depression differently, in that men will often become aggressive, violent, or begin taking mind altering drugs, including excessive alcohol consumption.

If you, or anyone you know and care for, is displaying any of the following symptoms then help should be sought immediately:

• Sudden onset of insomnia
• Unexplained loss of appetite
• Rapid weight gain
• Sudden irritability and agitation
• Low self esteem
• Persistent feelings of hopelessness
• Excessive fatigue
• Unexplained loss of energy
• Frequent suicidal thoughts

It is particularly important to realize that the symptoms mentioned above don't necessarily mean someone is suffering from mental depression, but there is in a very real chance that they are, especially if several of these symptoms are apparent.

Above all, rather than being alarmed, it is vital to realize that the condition can be cured successfully, but of course it is in your hands to seek help in the first place.