Information on Depression

Depression has evolved into a widespread problem in today’s society and it affects one out of every four women and one out of every eight men. There are some people who are familiar and aware of the many signs and symptoms of depression. These include being irritable, loss of memory and not being able to concentrate, recurrent thoughts of death or suicide, not being able to sleep, having feelings of hopelessness, feeling useless, gain or loss in appetite and social withdrawal to name a few. It is hopeful to believe that depression is sadness and it’s causes will simply go away, but most of the time that is just wishful thinking. The main causes of depression are hereditary. This is a proven fact 40 to 70 percent of the time and children of depressed parents are more likely to be depressed themselves as a result of their genetic makeup. A stressor in children may trigger a latent potential for depression. Those individuals who doubt heredity as a leading cause of depression admit that people who live with depressed people are more likely to be depressed themselves. A parent who is suffering from depression, may lack the necessary parenting skills or may not have the endurance or patience needed to deal with a child properly and this may be one of the causes of depression. The more that we understand the role that heredity plays when it comes to depression, the more we will understand how genes impact our lives and moods. Another cause of depression is low serotonin levels and loss of neurotransmitters in the hippocampus have also been identified as causes of depression. There is another cause of depression known as seasonal affective disorder and studies have shown that people who are deprived of light and warmth in the wintertime and become depressed are not just pretending to have the winter blues as they have a problem caused by the shorter days and longer nights. If this condition is not treated, it can develop into full blown depression. It is also a good bet that hormones play a part in the causes of depression, especially in women who suffer from Pre Menstrual Syndrome or post-partum depression. Other things that happen to people like losing a job, getting a divorce or losing a loved one in your family may not be the actual cause of depression, but they can trigger it in people who are in the high risk category for developing the condition. All of these events certainly cause each of us to be sad and have a feeling of worthlessness and that is a natural part of the grieving process and this does not cause depression as long as these feelings do not stay with us. There are some physical ailments that can cause depression such as hepatitis and some heart conditions and Aids along with other illnesses can make your body weak and tired. I hope that you found this information useful and if you would like more information on ways to live healthy, then please visit my eating healthy web site where you will find great information to help you live a long and healthy life.