In a revised edition of this text on depression, Dr Francis Mondimore explores the many faces of an illness that will affect as many as 36 million Americans at some point in their lives. This consumer's guide has been updated to reflect state-of-the-art treatment. It tells readers exactly what they need to know about antidepressant drugs and ECT, about Seasonal Affective Disorder and panic attacks, about the special problems of depression in children and older persons, and how to deal with a depressed friend or family member. The author explains how such disorders as hormonal imbalance can mimic the symptoms of depression, and why depression is sometimes misdiagnosed as PMS, drug abuse or Alzheimer's disease.