I’ve been wanting to start writing on this topic for a while, but a bit scared to.  I think this is because of an awareness that I need to be careful to make it clear that I’m not any kind of expert and have no medical qualifications, and that anyone reading about depression might be depressed themselves. 
 
So, my intention is not to be giving any kind of advice here, other than to seek professional help if you need it.
 
Also, I’m not in a position to answer emails about anyone’s personal situation – I’m busy enough trying to keep a handle on my own stuff.
 
That said, here goes.

It seems these days that every second person you meet is suffering depression or has experienced bouts of it at some stage.  So what is it? 

Without looking up definitions and researching it, my personal experience of it is as follows:

Read more: Depression