Q: I am a 24 years old male. I always get depressed when I think about my past failures. I belong to a very conservative family. Since childhood, I was not allowed to do the activities, which I really wanted to. I also feel lonely at times. Though, I do have a lot of friends and share everything with them, but still there is a sense of loneliness. I generally do photography and write poems when I am depressed or feel lonely. Is my depression linked to my past failures?

A:Depression can mean different things to different people and can present in varied ways. Depression can be an instantaneous feeling lasting for a short while, it can be a sustained mood state and a combination of features can lead this to be a clinical diagnosis. All of us feel depressed at times, due to things, events, surroundings etc. However, if this feeling state becomes the ordinary way of life and starts affecting day to day living and perception of things leading to negative, dark thoughts most of the time with decreased energy and motivation, with disturbances in sleep and appetite - then it is time to consider something serious is going on. Loneliness may not always represent depression; it may also reflect the actuality, and at times the discontentment.