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What causes depression?
There is no single cause of depression. Instead, depression results from a combination of genetic, biochemical, environmental, and psychological factors. Depression can run in families, and usually starts between the ages of 15 and 30. Possible reasons why a person may become depressed include:

Chemical imbalance - Changes in the brain chemistry

Family history - Depression can be genetically inherited; however, depression can also occur in people with no family history

Hormonal factors - Particularly true for women, depression can be caused by or experienced during menstrual cycle changes, pregnancy, miscarriage, postpartum period, perimenopause, and menopause

Medical illness - llnesses such as stroke, heart attack, cancer can provoke a period of depression

Stress - Stressful situations at work or home may trigger depression

Trauma - Loss of a loved one, or a traumatic experience such as abuse or disaster may provoke or cause depression.

Although depression is more common in women than in men, men experience depression too. Many people experience seasonal affective disorder during the winter months. And depression is one of the characteristic exhibited during Bipolar Disorder

The severity, frequency and duration of symptoms will vary depending on the individual and his or her particular illness. Depression symptoms can also manifest differently by individual or can appear differently in the same person over time. As depression is a common but serious illness, it's important to note the following signs of depression early so that you or a loved one can seek diagnosis.

Symptoms of depression

Difficulty concentrating, remembering details and making decisions
Difficulty sleeping
Excessive sleeping
Feeling fatigued, weak, or energy loss
Feeling anxious or "empty"
Feeling sad, down or unusual pessimism
Feeling guilty, worthless and/or helpless
Irritability
Loss of interest in normal daily activities, hobbies once pleasurable, or sex
Restlessness
Thoughts of death, suicide, suicidal behavior, or suicide attempts
Unexplained crying episodes
Unexplained physical problems, such as back pain, digestive problems or headaches
Unintentional weight gain or loss caused (overeating or appetite loss)

Self-injury or suicidal thoughts
Depression can also trigger thoughts of self-injury or suicide. At first, self injury may make a person feel better, but it ends up making depressive symptoms and the overall illness worse. Severe pain from depression may seem too overwhelming to cope with, but extreme times and severe symptoms of depression don't last forever. People do make it through self-injury or suicidal thoughts. Common reasons for self injury include:

Avoiding, distraction from, or holding back strong feelings
Taking away emotional pain and distress
Punishing yourself
Releasing or expressing anger you're afraid to express to other Stopping a painful memory or thought
Trying to feel better

When to seek help
If you are thinking about hurting or killing yourself, please ask for help!

There is nothing wrong with asking for help -- everyone needs help sometimes. Hotlines and centers help you talk through problems, develop a plan of action and identify where to go for more help in person.

Diagnosing depression
There are several other conditions whose symptoms may include depression. That's why mental health specialists use criteria found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) to diagnose mental conditions like depression. Diagnostic criteria for depression are based on the:

Type of symptoms present
Minimum number of symptoms experienced (at least 5)
Minimum amount of time symptoms manifest (nearly every day for at least 2 weeks)

Medical exams
The first step toward diagnosing depression is to visit your family doctor or a general practitioner. A doctor will first confirm that the symptoms of depression are not caused by another medical condition or medication(s). A doctor can rule out these possibilities by conducting a physical examination, a psychological interview and your doctor may also request diagnostic laboratory tests.

Laboratory tests - Lab tests used to diagnose depression include a complete blood count , alcohol and drug screen, and thyroid function test(s).

Physical exam - A physical includes measuring height and weight; checking vital signs, such as heart rate, blood pressure and temperature; listening to the heart and lungs; and examining the abdomen.

Psychological evaluation - If your doctor excludes a medical condition as the cause of depression, you can next seek a referral to a mental health professional such as a psychologist, psychiatrist, counselor or a social worker who is trained in psychological evaluation. These specialists can administer a complete diagnostic evaluation. You will be asked questions about family history of depression and the complete history of the symptoms you experience. Be prepared to answer questions such as:

Are you using alcohol and drugs?
When did depression symptoms start?
How long they have lasted?
What is the severity of the symptoms?
Have these symptoms occurred before and if so, how they were treated?
Have you experienced thoughts of death or suicide?

People diagnosed with depression can lead healthy and productive lives when the illness is effectively treated. If you exhibit any symptoms of depression, seek medical help as soon as possible. Depression doesn't get better on its own

Depression Treatment

Most people experiencing depression get better with treatment. Effective diagnosis and treatment can help reduce even severe depression symptoms. And with effective treatment, most people with depression feel better, often within weeks, and can return to normal daily activities with ease.

Once identified, depression almost always can be treated either by therapy, medications (antidepressants), or both. Some people with milder forms of depression do well with therapy alone. Others with moderate to severe depression might benefit from antidepressants. It may take a few weeks or months before you begin to feel a change in your mood. The most common forms of depression treatment follow.

Alternative treatments
Researchers are looking for ways to better treat depression among all groups of people. Some people don't respond to standard depression treatment and might be interested in trying these alternatives:

Diet changes - increase the amount of Omega 3 nutrients in your diet, as well as your intake of fresh fruits and vegetables. Eliminate or avoid sugar.

Eastern medicine - You might want to look into other systems such as acupuncture aromatherapy, reflexology, Reiki or yoga for a different cultural perspective on the illness of depression. Many systems describe depression as a lack of vital life energy in the body and work to increase this energy through specific practices.

Electroconvulsive therapy - (ECT) or "shock therapy" has greatly improved in recent years nd can provide relief for people with severe depression who have not been able to feel better with other treatments.

Exercise - Physical activity can reduce depression symptoms. Consider taking up any form of excercise you enjoy.

Meditation and relaxation - Learning to control the mind through meditation can help you make a connection between your thoughts with physical symptoms. Relaxing the body can also help you manage or reduce stress.

St. John's Wort - The extract from this plant has been used for centuries in many folk and herbal remedies to treat depression.

Medications
Depression medications affect everyone differently and it's important to remember that one-size-does-not-fit-all in terms of drugs. This is because the exact pathological reason for depression remains unknown and different medications may or may not work well in different people. In generally, antidepressants normalize brain chemicals called neurotransmitters, most frequently serotonin and norepinephrine. Other antidepressants work on the neurotransmitter dopamine. Types of antidepressant medications that help keep the neurotransmitters at the correct levels are:

SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)
SNRIs (serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors)
MAOIs (monoamine oxidase inhibitors)
Tricyclics

The newest and most popular types of antidepressant medications are called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and include:

Fluoxetine (Prozac)
Citalopram (Celexa)
Sertraline (Zoloft)

It can take 8 - 12 weeks to feel the effect of an antidepressant, although you may notice some improvements in your mood before that. If you don't noticed improvements in your mood and thoughts consult your doctor. Your doctor might consider increasing medication dosage, combining medications or switching to a new medication. Finally, antidepressants may cause side effects in some people which are usually not problematic and don't last very long. However, any unusual reactions or side effects that interfere with normal functioning should be reported to a doctor immediately.

Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy treats depression by talking about your condition and related issues with a mental health specialist such as a counselor, psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker training in counseling or psychosocial therapy. For mild to moderate depression, psychotherapy may be the best treatment option. However, for major depression or for certain people, psychotherapy may not be enough.

Some psycho therapy treatments programs are short term and last from10-20 weeks, while other treatments are longer. Treatment will depend on the needs of the individual. Several types of psychotherapy are effective for depression. The most commonly used types of therapy used to treat depression include:

Cognitive beahvioral therapy - CBT addresses negative styles of thinking and behaving that may contribute to depression. The goal of CBT is to identify and change behavior patterns to lead to a happier life.

Interpersonal therapy - During interpersonal therapy, people become aware of troubled personal relationships and resolve feelings of resentment that may cause depression or make it worse.

Suicide treatment
If you are thinking about hurting or killing yourself, please ask for help! If you can't find someone to talk with, write down your thoughts. Try to remember and write down the things you are grateful for. List the people who are your friends and family, and care for you. Write about your hopes for the future. Read what you have written when you need to remind yourself that your life is important.