Depression - Symptoms, Causes And Treatment Options Depression is a complex of psychological and physical symptoms.

Low mood level o r sadness is often the most prominent symptom. The common property of these symp toms is a decreased activity level in parts of the brain. THE SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION Depression may give one or more of these symptoms: -Low mood level or sadness. -Lack of joy or interest in activities that were joyful before. -Pessimism. -Feel of guilt of something without any substantial reason to feel so. -Inferiority thoughts. -Irritability. -Slowness in the thought process. -Slowness in interpreting sensorial stimuli. -Slowness of digestion or other internal physical processes, and symptoms caused by this slowness, for example inflated stomach, constipation or difficulties by urination. -Slow physical reactions. Depression can be a mild disease that only causes some annoyance in the daily li fe, but can also get very serious and make a person totally unable to work and u nable to participate in social life. By depression of some severity, there is al so a greater risk of suicide. Depression can occur in all age classes. In teenagers lack of interest in school work, withdrawal from social life and difficult mood can be signs of depression . THE PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES THAT PRODUCE THE SYMPTOMS By depression there is a decreased amount of neurotransmitters in parts of the c entral nervous system, mainly deficiency of serotonin, but also to some extend o f noradrenalin, acetylcholine, dopamine or gamma-amino-butyric acid (GABA), or t he nerve cells do not react properly by stimulation from neurotransmitters. A ne urotransmitter is a signal substance that transmits the nerve signal through the junctions between two nerve cells. Serotonin and noradrenalin cause nerve cells to send impulses along to other ner ve cells, and thus increase the activity in the brain. Deficiency of these subst ances causes slowness in parts of the brain, and that again causes the depressiv e symptoms. The role of GABA is the opposite, namely to y those causing anxiety and panic response. nd easier panic response. Yet, lack of this essive symptoms. This is because a too high slow down other processes. slow down some nerve impulses, mainl Lack of GABA causes higher anxiety a transmitter also seems to cause depr activity in some brain processes may

There are many causes and subtypes of depression with different physiological me chanisms involved. TYPES OF DEPRESSION Depression is often divided into subtypes according to exhibited symptoms. 1. Mono-polar depression and dysthymic disorder

By mono-polar depression there are pure depressive symptoms. Mild cases of monopolar disorder that do not affect a persons ability to work and to participate i n social activities are often called dysthymic disorder. 2. Bipolar disorder (manic-depressive disease) and cyclothymic disorder In this condition there are periods with symptoms of depression - the depressive phase, alternating with periods of elevated mood level with increased mental an d physical activity - the manic phase. In the manic phase, the affected person a lso sleeps poorly and has concentration difficulties. A mild form of this diseas e is called cyclothymic disorder. 3. Manic disorder This condition is characterized by abnormally elevated mood, by unrealistic opti mism, by lack of sleep and by hyperactive behaviour. Many psychiatrists think th at this disorder is simply the same disease as bipolar disorder where the depres sive face has not yet occurred. 4. Depression with mainly physical symptoms Sometimes the physical symptoms of depression are alone or dominant, as for exam ple: Digestive problems, constipation, difficulties with urination, slow respons e to sensorial stimuli or slow physical reactions. CAUSES OF DEPRESSION Two or more factors can have an effect simultaneously to cause depression. Depre ssion can be an independent disease, or a part of other disease. Depression is a lso divided into different subtypes according to cause. 1. Reactive depression This disease is simply a result from psychological stress, physical struggle or mental straining without proper rest or sleep over a long time period. The strai ning will simply wear out the nervous system or deplete the organism from nutrie nt necessary for the nervous system to work properly. 2. Endogenous depression When there has not been any period of stress, straining or lack of rest that can explain the condition, the condition is often called endogenous depression. Inh eritance is thought to be a part of the cause. 3. Depression by physical disease Depression or depressive symptoms may be a symptom of physical disease. This is perhaps the most common cause of depression. Generally there are three categorie s of diseases that give depression: Diseases often associated with depression are: Heart disease, Parkinson's diseas e, stroke, hypertension or Cushing's syndrome. Mononucleosis or flu may trigger depression that continues after the infection h as gone. By lack of thyroid hormones, hypothyroidism, the metabolism in the whole body is slowed down, including the production of neurotransmitters in the brain. Theref

ore depression is an important symptom of hypothyroidism. 4. Depressive symptoms as a consequence of unsound lifestyle A general unsound lifestyle with too less exercise, too much of stimulants like alcohol, coffee or tea, too less of important nutrient and too much of sugar and fat may give depressive symptoms, as well as physical problems. 5. Postnatal depression Women will often have a period of depression after pregnancy and berth of the ba by Pregnancy and berth is physically and mentally exhausting, and may drain the body for nutrient. This in turn can cause depressive symptoms . 6. Seasonal affective disorder Depression can occur in cold and dark periods of the year and go away in warm an d light periods. Light stimulates brain activity, and lack of light is a causati ve factor. TREATMENT OF DEPRESSION Serious or prolonged depression is often treated with anti-depressive medication . Medicines used against depression generally increase the level of neurotransmi tters like serotonin in the central nervous system, or they mimic the neurotrans mitters. The medications mostly used today increase the serotonin concentration by decrea sing the removal of serotonin from the space around nerve cells. Examples of thi s medication type are: Fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), paroxetine (Pax il), escitalopram (Lexapro, Celexa), sentraline (zoloft). By bipolar disorder in the manic face, heavy tranquilizers (neuroleptica) are us ed to stop the manic symptoms. By bipolar disorder, lithium salts are sometimes used to stabilize the condition, and prevent new outbreak of depressive or manic faces. Psychotherapy is sometimes used by depression, usually in combination with medic ation. Sometimes serious depression is treated by applying electric shock through the h ead, electroconvulsive therapy. The shock induces epileptic eruption of nerve si gnals through the brain and this gives cramps throughout the body. The cramps ar e alleviated or stopped by applying anaesthesia before the electroshock. This fo rm of treatment is controversial, since it can cause memory loss and is suspecte d of causing brain damage. The possibility of brain damage is however denied by most psychiatrists. By seasonal depression, light therapy maybe useful. Adjustment of lifestyle should always be considered by depression or depressive symptoms. Lifestyle measures can sometimes be enough to cure depressive symptoms before a serious depression develop. Lifestyle adjustments can be: - To slow down a stressful life with too much work or activities. - Enough rest and sleep. - A good diet with enough of necessary nutrients. - Some physical exercise. - Meditation. - Supplement of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, lecithin, amino acids and esse ntial fatty acids. - Stimulants like coffee or tea may help against depressive feelings in moderate amount. However, if you are a heavy user of these stimulants, you should cut do wn on your consumption.

There exist nutritional products in the marked to help against depressive sympto ms. These contain ingredients that the brain uses as building blocks for neurotr ansmitters, for example amino acids and lecithin. They also often contain vitami ns and minerals that the brain uses as tools to produce neurotransmitters, espec ially vitamin B6. Supplements may further contain herbal extracts that trigger higher brain activi ty much like anti-depressive medications, but may have fewer side effects.