Why Are You Depressed?

If you are currently suffering from some form of depression, do you understand the reason? We are all susceptible to some form of depression regardless of age, sex or lifestyle. If depression has struck you down for longer than two weeks, it is time you speak to a medical professional.
The causes of depression are not fully clear to the medical community, but nutrition and brain chemical imbalance are factors. Additionally, it is known that genetics can also play a role in depression. If you have a close family member who is depressed, your risk for developing depression is increased.
This does not mean you are guaranteed to become depressed as there are many other factors at play here as well such as age and gender.

Some factors that can cause depression:
Genetic causes:
Depression can be hereditary and run in families. Several suicides occurring in one family is not uncommon. Depression can exist in families with no history of depression.
Stressful life events can cause anyone to become depressed. Stressful events can be anything from financial insecurity and abusive relationships, to chronic health issues.
Gender:
Depression is slightly more common in women, but in general can occur in any particular age group, ethnicity or socio-economic group.
Depression after child birth is relatively common and is a result of the hormonal changes that a woman's body is forced to endure. It is often temporary but if it continues on after the first two to three weeks, some medical treatment may be warranted.
Age:
There are a number of reasons the elderly are particularly susceptible to depression including increased exposure to death and bereavement, financial stresses, and chronic suffering of pain and disease.

A most common method used to diagnose depression is having five or more symptoms of depression for longer than two weeks.
Five symptoms of depression:
- Sadness.
- Lack of desire to get involved in activities that were previously enjoyed.
- Loss of self-esteem and increase in feelings of despair.
- Reduced ability to concentrate.
- Thoughts of death or suicide.
Symptoms lasting 2 weeks or more is indicates a state of depression. Other tools for the diagnosis of depression include Beck's Depression Scale Inventory and other tests used to diagnose depression.
There are currently no medical tests to diagnose depression, but certain tests can rule out other possibilities. The symptoms of depression can be similar to other conditions so ruling these out can allow for the correct treatment to occur.