In work, depressed individuals are liable to be slow and less productive, to be indecisive and uncertain, and to make more mistakes. At home they will lack interest in their family and will be unable to enjoy their company and shared activities, and to participate in family life. They will be unable to demonstrate affection for loved ones and uninterested in love-making. They will tend to avoid friends and social gatherings, and be unable to derive satisfaction from hobbies and leisure interests.

The more severe the illness, the greater the disability. Individuals suffering from a mild form of illness would be distressed by their symptoms but able to continue activities in all areas of life albeit with greater efforts. With increasing symptoms, performance of social, work and domestic activities becomes possible only with significantly greater effort until, in severe illnesses, activity beyond the short term keeping of body and soul together becomes quite impossible. In this situation the very evident and immediate risk of self-neglect or suicide may necessitate the level of supervision and care that can be provided only in hospital.

Depression will not only hurt the depressed persons, but also their family and friends.

Phyiscal effects of depression are:

• Most depressed people also suffer from cronic fatique (More info)
• Have physical pains with no apparent source.
• Have a larger than normal risk of other somatic illnesses.