What are depressive disorders?

A depressive disorder is when someone feels really sad for a long time and it makes it hard to do things they usually enjoy.

Imagine you have your favorite toy, let's say it’s a teddy bear that always makes you laugh. Now imagine that one day, the teddy bear doesn’t make you laugh anymore. It just sits there, quiet and still. That’s kind of what happens with depressive disorders, things that used to bring joy start feeling dull or even painful.

Sometimes, it's like having a big, heavy cloud over your head that doesn't go away. You can still see the sun, but you just feel tired and gloomy inside. This cloud might make it hard to get out of bed in the morning or play with friends.

With a depressive disorder, feeling sad isn’t just about being upset, it's like having a constant ache in your heart and a tiredness that never goes away. It can make simple things, like eating or talking to someone, feel really hard.

But guess what? Just like clouds eventually move, the sadness from a depressive disorder can also go away with help and time.