There is no immunity to depression and there are different degrees of the problem, ranging from mild to severe. Though anyone can be affected by depression women are more prone to this problem. The early signs of major depression are a withdrawn behavior by the person, lack of appetite and sleep and constant tiredness. These are signs of depression which the others around the person should recognize and get help for the person as soon as possible. If left untreated the disease becomes debilitating and is difficult to treat or arrest. There may be not permanent cure for depression but the person can be made to feel comfortable and cope with the symptoms.
Treatment creates a balance in the body and the person is less stressed out because of the medication. Signs of depression are the same in mild and severe depression; only the symptoms last longer in more severe depression and may become a permanent feature unless treated. If the depression is due to a genetic problem or because of a chemical imbalance the treatment may be forever and the person will have to be under constant medical supervision. This is because the medication has to be reviewed and the dosage may have to be changed periodically. Stopping the medication could create more problems and the person will get worse because of this. Many patients stop the medication once they feel better, but this brings on more signs of depression with drug withdrawals. Caring for someone who is depressed is also stressful and family members should take it in turns to do this instead of making one person responsible all the time.