Depression and its cause

There any many different kinds of depression. Mild depression, major depression, manic depression, Atypical depression and post-partum depression to name a few. Any depression involves symptoms and is considered very serious. Appropriate treatment is necessary. Depression is an illness that involves your whole body, mood, thoughts and it can affect the way you eat and sleep. It can affect the way you handle things, make decisions and even how feel about yourself. Depression is not a personal weakness nor is it a problem that you can just wish away. Over the years, depression for me is something that comes and goes. One day I will feel great and then slowly I can feel the depression starting. I have realized that depression is something that is just not going to disappear even if I feel better, I know it's going to come back. Sometimes people get depressed for no reason while others have a triggering event that causes it. At times, I will become depressed for no apparent reason while at other times, stress, lack of sleep or something that upsets me will cause me to become depressed. The death of close loved one often triggers mild to severe depression and can last for various amounts of time. A change in someone's life, a disappointment, a new baby, marital problems or relationship problems, financial problems or a chronic illness can trigger the onset of depression. People who have low self-esteem, those who look at themselves and the world in a negative way and those who are overwhelmed by stress and responsibility are also more prone to depression. Environmental, psychological and genetic factors are usually always involved in depression. The causes of depression are many but in recent years it has become clear that all depressions involve a chemical imbalance in the areas of the brain that regulate mood and emotion.

 According to reported cases of depression, 25% of women and 10% of men will suffer from depression during their lifetimes. Many try to deal with the symptoms of depression alone and many don't seek professional help. Always keep in mind that depression is an illness and those who suffer have no choice or control over their condition. They just can't "pull themselves together" or "snap out of it" or like has been to said to me, "get over it". Without professional treatment a person can suffer from depression for weeks, months and like in my case, even years. Doing a self test for depression will give you a better idea if you or someone else may be suffering. Everyone feels "down" or "blue" every once in awhile. We can feel depressed after a big life change or when something sad happens in our life. Usually over time, we get over those feelings. However, for some people the symptoms remain for long periods of time. If you ever think you are alone in battling depression - you are certainly not. It is estimated that 1 in 5 people will suffer from depression at one point during their lives.

Symptoms

The symptoms for depression are different for each person. I compare it to the common cold, two people may have a cold but both may have different symptoms. When it comes to depression, while one person may experience many of the symptoms while another person may experience only a few. The severity of these symptoms with be different for each person as well. Sometimes these symptoms are apparent while sometimes they are not even noticeable. I have been depressed at times and not even realized it until it was pointed out to me, usually by my husband.

Below are symptoms of depression to look for.

Feelings of hopelessness

Feelings of guilt, helplessness and worthlessness

Persistent sadness or feeling "empty"

Loss of interest in hobbies or activities.

Insomnia/ waking early or oversleeping

Loss of appetite/weight loss

Overeating/weight gain

Decreased energy/fatigue

Restlessness, irritability

Difficulty remembering or concentrating or making decisions

Thoughts of death or suicide and even suicide attempts.

When I am depressed, I suffer from many of the symptoms above however the severity of them varies. When I become depressed, it is very hard for me to eat. When I don't eat, I become tired and more irritable and just don't feel very well in general. I feel very badly about myself and often say things like "I'm stupid" or "I'm dumb". I'll even go as far as believing I am a bad mother and wife. I don't want to go out and most times, don't even want to see anyone. Even talking on the phone become a chore and it's something that I like to do. Small things seem all of a sudden worse and I feel like I can't cope. I will cry more often and can't seem to find energy to do anything. One symptom seems to trigger another and it seems all aspects of life become more difficult for me.