According to Rabbi Shmuley, the United States has one of the highest rates of depression in the world. In particular, depression seems to be especially prevalent among females, he says. Rabbi Shmuley takes a closer look at why depression is so common among American women.

Rabbi Shmuley says part of the reason women seem to be hit so hard by depression is because of society's rising expectations. The pressure of having to balance both career and family is having a profound effect on women, he says. "Women are getting depressed today because they are under this assault of inadequacy," Rabbi Shmuley says. "You're never young enough or blond enough."

Rabbi Shumley says medication isn't necessarily the best solution. Instead, he says to force yourself to fight depression when it is attacking you. "Since [depression] is a void, since it robs you of life, you must force yourself to act when you don't feel like acting," Rabbi Shmuley says. "You must force yourself to do when you have no energy to do."

Today's Shmuleyism
"Depression is the human transformation from the animate to the inanimate—it takes the vibrant act of person and takes them to an unfeeling thing. Forget your own self-absorption and make yourself other-person focused. Depression is all based on the fear that you do not matter."