Depression Symptoms

Depression affects work, relationships and just about every aspect of a person’s life. It’s normal to feel down or have a bad day every now and then, but when it gets to the point where you can no longer function as a normal person then there is a problem. As many as one and three people are affected by depression and women are more likely suffer from it than men.

Symptoms of depression include feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, loss of interest in daily activities, appetite or weight changes, sleep changes, psychomotor agitation or retardation, loss of energy, self-loathing, concentration problems, irritability, aches and pains, less interest in sex and thoughts of death. Other physical complaints include indigestion, constipation, diarrhea, headache, backache and anxiety.

There is no single cause for depression and it often runs in families. Genetics combined with stress or physical illness may trigger an imbalance in brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. Contributing factors of depression include heredity, stress, medications, illnesses, personality, post partum depression, hormones and alcohol, nicotine and drug abuse.

Medications used to treat depression include Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs), Heterocyclics and Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). Forms of therapy used to treat depression include psychotherapy, light therapy and electroconvulsive therapy.