Depression is a state of mind that can be cured completely with the help of medicines and counseling. What one has to do in this regard is to identify the issue and get the right treatment in the right time. Any attempt to hide the condition by withdrawing yourself from the company of others may drag you to more serious problems in future. It is always good to understand the causes and symptoms of female depression to get the correct picture of the problem.

Many of us believe depression is not a sin that is to be a kept secret. If you allow it to continue for along time without making others aware of the state of your mind, it will start affecting every aspect of your life. If you are feeling tired, less interested in the normal activities of life and down for a long time, you should consult a doctor to rule out the possibility of being affected by depression. It is good to have an idea about the common symptoms of female depression to have a self assessment of your mental health before you see your doctor or discuss the matter with others.

A woman affected by depression shows almost all the symptoms of major depression. These symptoms include feelings of guilt, hopelessness, lack of self respect, feelings of worthlessness, sleep disorders, suicidal thoughts, loss of appetite, eating disorders, weight loss, problems in concentrating in work and other activities and lack of energy and fatigue.

The signs and symptoms shown by male and female depression patients are almost similar. But when compared to men, women tend to show certain symptoms of depression more frequently than men. Women suffering from depression are found to experience the symptoms of atypical depression such as eating more, sleeping more and gaining more weight. A woman who experiences these symptoms should consult a doctor to rule out the possibilities of depression and to stay healthy.

The studies conducted in this field indicate that women belonging to lower socio-economic status are more prone to depression than others. The more stress a women suffers, the greater her chances are of being affected by depression. The other risk factors that cause depression in women include problems in marriage, single parenthood, past sexual and physical abuse.

The major varieties of depression include clinical or major depression, disthymic disorder, unspecified depression and bipolar depression and adjustment disorder with depression. Major depression also called clinical depression is an acute type of depression. It is the severity of the symptoms shown by the patient that makes it serious. The symptoms of major depression can vary from patient to patient. The most commonly identified symptoms of clinical or major depression include loss of interest in the day to day activities, loss of self respect and moody nature. Most of these patients experience hopelessness, inability to enjoy the pleasures in life, inappropriate guilt, helplessness and self hatred. Withdrawal from social life, reduced sex drive and thoughts of death are the other symptoms of clinical depression commonly expressed by the patients. To become a patient affected by major depression, one need not express all these symptoms.

Disthymic disorder is a disorder that comes under the category of low to moderate level of depression. When compared to clinical depression this type of depression lasts only for a short period. The symptoms expressed by the patients of disthymic disorder would normally be less serious or severe than that of clinical depression. In some patients these symptoms may last for more than two years. They may become more enduring and treatment resistant. Disthymic disorder may develop to a major disorder in such persons during the course of their depression.
Unspecified depression is a condition that does not fall under the category of clinical depression. The symptoms shown by these patients would normally be less severe in nature. The patients suffering from chronic, moderate depression fall under this category of depression.

Adjustment disorder with depression is an outcome of major life stresses or crisis in personal life of individuals. This type of depression is also called

The classical signs of depression may not be expressed by a male patient. He will try to mask all his problems by staying actively involved in work and by making a deliberate attempt to act normal around others and not showing the problems he experiences due to the health condition called depression. The most common signs of male depression include anger, irritability and risk taking. They may also show the symptoms of physical problems such as constant head ache and stomach problems.

The treatment that such a person gets for the pain he suffers will not be effective on him. If the doctor fails to identify the real problem, he may continue treating the patient using different medications. If a male do not respond to the normal treatments for the symptoms of physical ailments, the doctors should suspect the presence of depression in such patients.

Most of the men affected by depression tend to take unnecessary risk in their life by involving themselves in dangerous sports, compulsive gambling and risky driving to get away from the reality. Men affected by depression may also become short tempered and angry. He may get upset easily by criticisms and may react to such situations violently.

Men suffering from depression may also start feeling worthless. He may become restless and start developing a feeling of worthlessness. Most of the men who suffer from this health condition experience problems with sleeping and eating. While some tend to eat and sleep less, some others show an unhealthy craving for food and sleep.
Fatigue is a common symptom of depression experienced by both men and women. A depressed male may start developing a feeling that he is unable to perform the tasks he used to perform easily before he became depression patient.

A depressed man may tend to abuse drugs by using alcohol or other drugs to feel better. Lack of concentration in work and other day to day activities make most of the depressed men inactive and less interested in the normal activities of day to day life. If the problems get aggravated, he may start thinking of ending the life and start talking about suicide.

A large number of antidepressant medications are now available in the market for a doctor to treat patients of depression. Most of the medicines that are now available in modern medicine are found to be effective in treating depression. The effectiveness of these medicines in treating the problem is totally dependant upon the ability of the doctor to choose the right medicine for the patient. The patient should disclose all the symptoms that he experiences to the doctor to help him to find the one that really works for the patient. Normally, a patient who is given an antidepressant medicine would start experiencing the positive symptoms within three to six weeks. To get the maximum out of the medication, the patient should be ready to co operate with the doctor by consuming the medicine as prescribed by the doctor.

SSRIs are the most commonly prescribed antidepressant medicines by the doctors these days. When compared to other medications, the medicines that come under this category produce minimum side effects. Common side effects of these anti-depressants include sleep disorders, mild head ache, stomach problems and decreased libido. These medicines are to be taken only once in a day by the patient.

SNRIs are the other group of medicines used by the doctors to treat depression patients. They are also found to be very effective and convenient to use for the patients suffering from depression. Side effects of using these medicines include dry mouth, urinary retention and mild constipation. At higher doses it may cause sever blood pressure and patients who use these medicines should be careful about their blood pressure level.

TCAs and MAOIs are the oldest classes of antidepressants used to treat depression patients. When compared to other medicines this group of medicines tend to have more side effects. A patient who takes TCAs and MAOIs should be closely monitored by the doctors to avoid the complications. Sedation, blurred eye vision, urinary hesitancy, constipation, dry mouth, orthostatic hypotension and heart palpitation are the common side effects of these medicines.

Bupropion and Mirtazapine used to treat depression patients are comparatively new in origin. Common side effects of these medicines include anxiety, insomnia, sedation, restlessness and weight gain.

Remember, depression is not a sin or a problem created by you. It is a health problem that affects many like any other disease. But you can help yourself by making a conscious effort to control your feelings and actions. If you feel that you are not in your normal self or cannot find any interest in the normal activities of day to day life, seek the help of your parents, teachers or your school counselor.

If you are dealing with some problems in your family or other relationships, talking to an adult you can trust will help you to get out of the problem. Do not attempt to bury the problems that haunt you inside to avoid complications in future. If you think that you are scared of some health issues such as pregnancy or drug problem approach a doctor to receive proper treatment. They will help you to disclose the matter you face to your parents without inviting serious troubles in your relationship with them.

Make sure that you are not isolated from the company of others. If you are depressed, you may find it difficult to enjoy the company of others. Isolating yourself from the company of others may make the problem worse than you think. So try to be in the company of others, even when you feel it less interested. Avoid the company of the friends who abuse drugs to rule out the possibility of indulging in drug abuse. It is also important to follow a healthy lifestyle and good diet to accelerate the recovery from the symptoms of depression.

The natural transition from a child to an adult creates a lot pressure and problems for a teenager. The conflicts or differences of opinion between parents and children during this period can aggravate the situation. A parent who reacts to the situations aggressively should be aware of the mental agony that it creates in teenagers. Such situations may drag a teenager to the health condition known as depression. We may find it difficult to identify the symptoms of depression from the normal moodiness a teenager shows during this period.

The common symptoms of teenage depression include sadness, irritability, anger, frequent crying, withdrawal from the company of parents and friends, loss of interest in day to day activities, feeling of worthlessness, problems in concentrating, fatigue, change in the eating or sleeping habits and lack of motivation.

Occasional appearance of any of these symptoms in a teenager is normal. But if the feeling persists for a long time in a teenager, he/she requires special attention and treatment for depression. He should be given special care and support by the elders to rule out the possibility of more complications.

A teenager who suffers depression needs support. The first thing that you should do is to talk to the teenager about it. Make sure that the words you use do not irritate him/her. You should approach him in a loving and non-judgmental way to open up the conversation. You should convince the teen that you are there for her/him in all the troubles they experience. Avoid posing too many questions to a teen who shows the symptoms of depression.

The common symptoms of depression include constant feeling of sadness, lack of interest in the pleasure of day to day activities, loss of energy, change in the appetite, restlessness or slowing down, inability to concentrate, thoughts of suicide and feelings of worthlessness. A patient of depression may start to develop disinterest in sex. Most of the times these patients make it habit a to complain about physical problems such as back pains and head ache. They may become irritable without a valid cause at any point of time.

The symptoms of depression may vary in people according to the age group in which they belong. The symptoms shown by a 25 year old depression patient may not be the same of the symptoms expressed by a person in his seventies.

Like many other mental problems, depression can also be caused by biochemical, genes or environmental factors. Studies conducted in this field establish a direct relation between the changes in the brain and depression. Physical changes in the brain are found to be a cause that leads to this mental state. Neurotransmitters, the chemical that makes mood variation in a person also can cause depression in a person. One can also blame hormonal imbalance for creating this unexplainable mood variations in individuals.

Depression can be hereditary. A person with a family history of depression has a greater chance of being affected by these problems than others. The environment in which a person lives also has a role to play in developing the feeling of depression in individuals. The situations in the life, the surroundings, the people with whom the patients mingles every day etc are very important when it comes to depression. The environmental factors that lead a person to depression include loss of loved ones and financial troubles. Any person who is not bold enough to meet the challenging situations of life may fall into the hands of depression. It all depends on the courage and will power of the person.

Friendship and social support are the best medicines that you can avail yourself of when you go through a tough time in your life. You should want the support of friends in such situations, learn how to find and nurture friendships that can become a support during tough times. The comfort that you enjoy when you are in the company of your friends will help you to face the problems more realistically and in a level headed manner. You can seek advice from the friends you trust when you find it difficult to make a decision by yourself. Make sure that the friend you approach is trustworthy to avoid more complications.

Friendships are found to be very helpful in getting out of the tension you experience when you face a trauma of a divorce or loss of a job. It will help you to overcome the tension you suffer when the health of someone you love bothers you. These are the situations that might lead to the problem of depression these days.

Social support network also can be a good tool to reduce the stress a person feels in his day to day life. A social support network consists of the friends and peers of an individual that can provide him a lot of comfort. It will provide you the trust and confidence that you will have your friends with you when you experience something unfortunate in your life.

The benefits that a social support network can provide you include a sense of belonging, increases a sense of self-esteem and a feeling of security. Spending time with the members of your social support network will help you to overcome the feeling of loneliness. Availability of a person who calls you a friend can create a feeling of worthiness in you. It will help you to increase your self respect.

In addition to all these, you should be ready to start treatment for depression when you detect the early signs of depression. It will help you to prevent this health condition from getting uncontrollable.

If you are a person suffering with the symptoms of depression, it is very important to consult a doctor and undergo treatment as suggested by the doctor. Early detection of the problem will help you to get out of the problem without much damage. It is also important to learn how you can cope with the situation when you start treatment for your problem.

The best way to understand the techniques to live with depression is to discuss the problem with your doctor. If you are ready to co operate with the doctor, he will help you to learn the skills necessary to deal with depression. Make sure that you reply to all the questions asked by the doctor to help the him/her to finalize the mode of treatment for your problem.

It is very important to simplify your life style when you suffer from depression. Try to cut back your obligations to avoid stress. If you have something to achieve, try to set a sensible or practical schedule for completing the work to be done.

It is good to share your feelings and emotions with someone you trust. If you cannot find a friend to share your feelings with, you can talk about all these problems with your doctor or a therapist. Reading the books and journals that provide information about the intricacies of depression will help you to understand the nature of the health problem you face. You can help yourself by reading the books that provide self-help tools for depression patients.
Avoid any situations where you become isolated. You can eradicate the feeling of loneness by spending more time with your family and friends. If possible, you can join in a social support group for depression patients. Getting in touch with the people facing similar problem will help you to view the problems from a different perspective and realize that you are not alone.

Medication, psychotherapy and electroconvulsive therapy are the most commonly indicated treatments for depression. Brain stimulation and alternative treatment are the other treatment modes that are yet to be developed in this area of treatment.

Doctors normally prefer psychotherapy for the patients who come under the age group of 18. A combination of medication and psychotherapy may be required in patients of the same age if they come with a familial history of depression.

Different methods of psychotherapy are now used to treat the patients of depression. Cognitive psychotherapy is the most commonly used talk therapy for depression by doctors. Cognitive psychotherapy or CBT is mainly used to identify the negative thoughts, pessimistic attitude and negative beliefs of the patient. Interpersonal therapy, psychoanalysis and psychodynamic psychotherapy are the other commonly used psychotherapy methods by the doctors to treat depression.

Interpersonal therapy mainly focuses on the problem arising out of the social or interpersonal interactions of the patient. This therapy can be used to develop the interactions of the patient with other members in the society by developing his/her interpersonal skills. Psychoanalysis experts attempt to identify the unconscious mental conflicts within the patient. Psychodynamic psychotherapy also follows the same line. It gives more importance to the additional social and interpersonal activities of an individual.

A large number of prescription anti depressants are available to treat depression. These medicines are also found as effective as psychotherapy in depression patients. But many patients stop taking these medications before they get complete relief due to the side effects.

Anti depressants medicines are classified into different categories on the basis of the affect that it makes on the biochemicals that cause mood variations in the brain. Some doctors prescribe a combination of different medicines for their patients after evaluating the gravity of the problem faced by the patients. The family history of depression of the patient also plays a crucial role in prescribing the dosage of the medicine.

Almost all the antidepressants used for treating depression can cause unwarranted side effects. One who takes such medicines should learn to cope with the side effects of the medicines he takes. Any attempt to withdraw the medicines without consulting the doctor may cause even more serious problems.