Depression - Gloominess

Depression is a "whole-body" illness, involving a person's body, mood, and thoughts. It affects the way one eats and sleeps, the way one feels about himself, and the way one thinks about things. A depressive disorder is not the same as a passing blue mood. It is not a sign of personal weakness or a condition that can be willed or wished away. People with a depressive illness cannot merely "pull themselves together" and get better. Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years. Appropriate treatment, however, can help most people who suffer from depression. 

How Depression Occurs?
Depression can occur due to a multitude of causes. It may be the result of a physical illness, bereavement, alcoholism, childbirth, or severe life events. It may occur as a result of problems that occurred in early childhood or as a result of the present difficulties relating to home or work.

Why Depression Occurs?
It has been suggested that people who tend to get depressed may have inherited a subtle chemical abnormality in their brain. This might make them more sensitive or susceptible to one or more of the life events mentioned above. 

Symptoms
Symptoms of depression may vary from person to person, and also depend on the severity of the problem. Depression causes changes in thinking feelings, behavior, and physical well-being. 

Changes in thinking
People may experience problems with concentration and decision making. Some people report difficulty with short-term memory, forgetting things all the time. Negative thoughts and thinking are characteristic of depression. Pessimism, poor self-esteem, excessive guilt, and self-criticism are all common. Some people have self-destructive thoughts during a more serious depression.

Changes in Feelings
People may feel sad for no reason at all. Some people report that they no longer enjoy activities that they once found pleasurable. People might lack motivation, and become more apathetic. Some may feel "slowed down" and tired all the time. Sometimes irritability is a problem, and depressed person may have more difficulty controlling his temper. In the extreme, depression is characterized by feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. 

Changes in Behavior
Changes in behavior during depression are reflective of the negative emotions being experienced. Patients might act more apathetic, because that's how they feel. Some people do not feel comfortable with other people, so social withdrawal is common. People may experience a dramatic change in appetite, either eating more or less. Because of the chronic sadness, excessive crying is common. Some people complain about everything, and act out their anger with temper outbursts. Sexual desire may disappear, resulting in lack of sexual activity. In the extreme, people may neglect their personal appearance, even neglecting basic hygiene. Needless to say, someone who is depressed does not do the optimum ; so work, productivity and household responsibilities suffer. Some people even have trouble getting out of bed. 

Changes in Physical Well-being
We have already talked about the negative emotional feelings experience during depression, but these are coupled with negative physical emotions as well. Chronic fatigue, despite spending more time sleeping, is common. Some people can't sleep, or don't sleep soundly. These individuals lay awake for hours, or awaken many times during the night, and stare at the ceiling. Others sleep many hours, even most of the day, although they still feel tired. Many people lose their appetite, feel slowed down by depression, and complain of many aches and pains. Others are restless, and can't sit still. 

Now imagine these symptoms lasting for weeks or even months. Imagine feeling the way almost all the time. Depression is present if you experience many of these symptoms for at least several weeks. Of course, it's not a good idea to diagnose yourself. If you think that you might be depressed, see a psychologist as soon as possible. A psychologist can assess whether you are depressed, or just under a lot of stress and feeling sad. Remember, depression is treatable. Instead of worrying about whether you are depressed, do something about it, even if you don't feel like it right now. 

Depressive disorders come in different forms. These are several different diagnoses for depression, mostly determined by the intensity of the symptoms, the duration of the symptoms, and the specific cause of the symptoms, if that is known.