Depression refers to an affective disorder of which the main feature of the syndromes is depressed mood while the patients are living under a stressful environment for a long period of time. Depression is an emotionally and physically painful condition that can stem from a variety of causes. Anyone can feel down from time to time or experience bouts of emotional grief or sadness due to some unexpected life event. Yet, twice as many older women as men have depression as women are born as emotional and volatile. It is a treatable disease, yet patients usually lack insight and are reluctant to seek medical treatment since they refuse to admit their illness and feel shamed for their abnormality. Not only depression causes a wide variety of psychological and physical symptoms, but also seriously interferes their daily life in working and relationship, and greatly reduces their ability to enjoy life. Some patients who can no longer to withstand the pain even have thoughts of death and suicide, with or without a specific plan.
Some of the symptoms of depression can include:
- Feeling sad or depressed
- A loss of interest and pleasure in normal activities
- Loss of appetite or weight
- Inability to get to sleep or waking up early
- Feeling tired all the time
- Having trouble concentrating
- Feeling restless, agitated, worthless or guilty
- Feeling that life isn't worth living
Depression results from a combination of physical and psychological factors, which cause chemical imbalances in the brain. Diagnosis in every case needs a careful analysis of causes.
Physical causes include:
- Mental illness and treatment
- Inherited traits
- Chemical changes
- Drug or alcohol abuse
Psychological causes include:
- Life stress
- Negative experiences and loss
- High anxiety
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