Pain, a high body temperature, a running nose. All signs of physical problems and all pretty obvious. But what about feeling sad for a couple of days? Would you go and see your doctor when you feel helpless, empty, and worthless but without a scarf or a running nose to show for it? I bet you wouldn't. You kick yourself in the butt, ignore the sings and keep trying to get your act together. Why? Because we don't want to be seen as whiners or losers. But what if you'd come to the conclusion that - after yet another sleepless night - these feelings just won't go away and actually get stronger day by day? Would you kick yourself in the butt again? You should. Because you wasted valuable time just because you missed the early warning signs and symptoms of depression.

Things are different when it comes to depression. No cuts, no swellings, no blood. Depression builds up without a clear footprints. It takes a skilled eye to read the signs and symptoms of this silent killer in an early state. And that's part of why depression is the problem it is in today's society. We just don't recognize the symptoms and if we do, we are late. Sometimes too late.

What all experts agree on....
All experts and professionals agree on one thing: mental health would not be the huge problem it is today if we - being you and me - would be less ignorant and willing to learn to read the symptoms. You see, depression can be cured. In fact, most forms can be cured pretty fast and without the extensive use of drugs.

The key? Speed.

These days depression can be cured. It is often treated by a combination of therapy and drugs. If, how good and how fast the patient will recover, greatly depends on when depression is diagnosed and when proper treatment starts. Facing depression, time is not on your side. If all of today's patients would have started treatment a couple of weeks sooner, their changes of a full and speedy recovery would have increased dramatically. In fact, most of them would have shortened their illness by weeks and maybe even months.

If that doesn't convince you that learning to read the signs and symptoms of depression is essential, then this probably will: it's fair to say that some suicides could have been prevented, if the depression was recognized jus a couple of weeks earlier.

Due to the nature of the illness, it's often not the patient who's the first to come to the conclusion that he or she is suffering from depression. That's why it's important their friends, relatives, co-worker and even neighbors can read the signs of depression. They are the first to notice a change in personality on the victim. They actually see the patient withdraw from every day live. And they are the ones that can sound the alarm bells before health workers and probably even the patient is aware of any danger. Let me put it this way: once you know the signs of depression, you've become a mighty weapon in the fight against this silent killer.

Kenneth Kender writes about health, about positive thinking and about healthy foods without hype and in plain everday English. His work is published both offline and online. His latest online project is a website called www.SignsOfDepression.info where he helps you to learn what depression is all about and how you can read the signs and symptoms.