The Causes of Depression and How to Treat It

Depression is one of the most serious medical and psychological problems. It is caused by different factors from physical to emotional to intellectual and spiritual aspects of being; and it could also result to various circumstances like suicide and mental abnormalities.

Causes of Depression

Teens and young professionals are the age brackets most susceptible to depression. With teenagers it is usually caused by personality and identity crises. As they search for the meaning of life and the purpose of their actions, they are sometimes caught into too many questions they all try to seek answer for at the same time. Many of these circumstances tangle especially when they encounter philosophical issues that shake their beliefs and stands.

Still other teenagers especially those victims of physical abuse and brokenness in the family suffer from depression. These situations appear to them like there are no other options and no other way out than to be with them, lock inside their rooms and encourage depression to eat them out.

To young professionals, it is usually known as the quarter life crisis depression. It is the time when they feel unaccomplished in their lives. Their nostalgia of still being in school also causes them depression. They opt to become responsible to themselves and to their families but on the other hand the idea of enjoying life with their new earned freedom keeps them from doing so. Depression to them is the feeling of discontentment to what is happening in their careers and love life.

To other people, depression is caused by a loss of love one, financial and economic incapacity, emotional stress, tiredness from work and worrying among others.

Signs and Symptoms

There are various signs and symptoms of depression and it varies from one person to another. The most common of course is the persistent feeling of sadness and anxiety, hopelessness, helplessness and unworthiness.

Other signs include the loss of interest in normal daily activities. You may seem to be doing something but are not accomplishing anything. You are thinking of doing something at a certain time but just can not get yourself started. You could also have sleeping disturbances like waking up in the middle of the night with heavy feeling, inability to sleep or too much sleeping. You may also have difficulty concentrating with your supposed work and you delve too much in thinking about your problems.

Sometimes other people are not aware that changes in weight like becoming heavier and lighter is also a sign of depression. You may have the appetite in eating but what you eat is not reflected in your body in terms of your weight and complexion. Other symptoms include easy fatigue ability, irritation and restlessness, low self esteem, pessimism and thoughts of dying.

Treatments of Depression

More than a medical condition, depression is actually more of a psychological one. Treatment for depression really goes to a therapy. Taking anti-depressant medicines are good and could give a little room for change but consulting professional psychologist or guidance counselors are better.

There are also self-motivated treatments like going back to a hobby and enjoying it until a change in the mood happens. This can clear the mind and gives an opportunity for you to think logical steps you could take to move out from depression. Moreover, unloading the difficult feelings to a friend also helps.

Results of Depression

As said, untreated depression can lead to different results. The most common is suicide. This is the result of hopelessness and pessimism and according to study, men have higher rate of suicide than women. Other results include, drug dependence, alcoholism and other mental imbalances.

In societal perspective, depression result to broken families and compromised relationships with friends and other people. Not only a cause but also a result that depressed people loss their jobs and sense of responsibility.

Overcoming Depression

Submitted by KeithD

Is it Depression?
Depression is among the most common of mental illnesses, and it comes with all the ambiguities that accompany a psychiatric ailment. All of us are depressed at some point in our lives, but how is it different from being an ailment? How can we be sure if the blues we are suffering from is not a category of depression called, unipolar depression, manic depression or dysthymia?
People find themselves to be alone in the madding crowds of the cities, they are overworked and not loved enough, they cannot catch up with the fast pace of the materialistic world they exist in, and so the blues are more frequent and common now than ever before. This does not mean that thousands of people who are struggling to meet deadlines, or trying make ends meet in crowded cities are all patients of depression. Death is the most grave of all sufferings, and people may spend months and years trying to come out of the loss of a dear one, but that cannot be called a symptom of the disease.
Victims of depression are constantly unhappy; they look lost and lack the zest for life. They are largely pessimistic, and are devoid of a sense of purpose. They are often shrouded in the feeling of being useless and out of place, and sometimes found obsessing with the feeling of remorse. Now they find everything that once formed a part of their happiness, to be unnecessary and worthless. They exist on the fringes of the society, and do not involve in anything enjoyable including sex. The sleeping and eating patterns are affected in case of a patient of depression. It is hap-hazard and unhealthy. People may suffer from insomnia or oversleep during odd hours. People may either starve themselves or on the other hand overeat, and gain a large amount of weight. As alertness and energy is always symbolic of good health, these patients tire quickly and often complain of fatigue. They are slow and sluggish, agitated and touchy. They cannot use their brain the way they used to, and memory and concentration etc. suffers, which could even be the result of an irregular sleep pattern. On the other hand, physical ailments like stomach aches resulting from digestive problems, or headaches can also affect the patient.
Depression is not like the common cold that stays for a week and leaves, it is a serious ailment, as it disrupts your daily life. It can be persistent, and sometimes takes a long time to be identified in the patient. They sometimes mull a lot over death and can have suicidal tendencies. Suicides are not uncommon. Depression is attributed to the chemical changes in the brain, but the reasons can be manifold, like a failed long term relationship, divorce of parents, or such other domestic problems including death of a loved one. Drugs, alcohol, medicines etc. are also found to induce the disease.
Women suffer from mood swings owing to physiological changes due to premenstrual syndrome, postpartum, menopause or even birth control pills. They are twice as prone as men to the ailment. Unpredictable behavior and withdrawal attributed to adolescents though cannot be diagnosed as clinical depression; in many cases patients start showing signs of the actual ailment in their teens, or even in childhood. Depression in children is very difficult to be diagnosed.
In men the effect of depression can be devastating as they tend to deny the disease. The manifestation of the ailment in men can be different, and often physical, like anger or fatigue. Sexual dysfunctions connected with it further exasperate them. Men are ashamed, and are therefore less likely to show obvious signs of depression like crying, and they avoid verbally expressing themselves too. There is drug and alcohol abuse, and sometimes suicides in the case of men who refuse to accept grief.
The symptoms of depression need not be similar in all the patients. Symptoms may vary based on the severity, social circumstances, family medical history, habits, care provided etc. The ailment has to persist for two weeks at least to be even considered as depression. The disease affects not only the mind and mood, but body as well. You cease to be happy as your personal and professional life is affected and you cannot feel better despite making a conscious effort.