Depression symptoms and treatment. What comes to mind? What are the primary symptoms? What are the neurological causes? What are the genetic causes? What is neurotic depression? What is endogenous depression? What is severe depression? What is manic depression or bi-polar affected disorder? What are the medical treatments? What are the particular food elimination diets?

Even though depression affects about 10% of the world population annually and is the most frequently occurring psychological condition every case of depression makes it hard for many individuals to perform any normal daily activities. From the psychological perspective, about 1 in 5 individuals suffer from depression at any one point during their lives. Each of us is therefore susceptible to the onset of depression.

Neurological causes of depression are due to changes in the brain chemistry triggered by depression of both serotonin and dopamine levels. Such factors as childhood emotional abuse, sexual abuse, traumas are frequently the primary cause for many cases of depression as the individual may suffer from most of the following signs and symptoms of depression.

Primary signs and symptoms of depression include feelings of helplessness and hopelessness as when feeling numb and empty with some heavyweight bearing down on us. Besides feeling useless and worthless which leads to low self-esteem there are many related symptoms. Feeling guilty and blaming ourselves constantly characterizes depression. What is more, there is often self-hatred and constant questioning of our thoughts. Self-harming is much more common as a symptom than we realise.

Physiological symptoms of depression include loss of weight or rapid gains in weight. In many cases, the individual may have some depressed appetite or engage in eating as some therapy to comfort their emotions. Where there is difficulty sleeping with the individual waking in the early hours and not returning to sleep then the presence of depression is clearly present.

Agitation and restlessness are characteristic signs and symptoms of depression where there is anger due to frustration in personal relationships. Another symptom is loss of sex drive where there is absolutely no interest in healthy relationships due to complete loss of the libido. With such deep feelings of loneliness and despair, every day and every thought and every action becomes our struggle.

Not being able to concentrate and forgetfulness and the inability to take even the smallest decision due to entrenched inactivity characterizes depression.

Severe depression can lead to serious suicidal ideas as the individual faces being overwhelmed hy both hopelessness and despair. Where there is loss of interest in people and events, many sufferers from depression no longer identify with the world around them as they become ever more isolated from their surroundings. Delusions and hallucinations can characterise the most severe forms of depression.

Each of the four main types of depression have different causes. Here are the four main types of depression. Some forms are much more severe than others which are mild by comparison.

Reactive depression is the most frequent type of depression where some exceptional loss or profound emotional trauma or death of close relative or friend or family member or even loss of employment can create the situation where the individual feels low, anxious, angry,irritable and maybe self-destructive as they become much more preoccupied with the upsetting event. Consequently, they may suffer bouts of insomnia but this is only temporary as when they become engaged in social interests they recover.

Neurotic depression has signs and symptoms much more characteristic of an unstable personality who finds minor fortunes intolerable so therefore if they can't manage problems of everyday life in an emotionally efficient manner they experience reactive depression. Some personality types susceptible to this are extreme perfectionists, unassertive or dependent or narcissistic types. Most neurotic depressives have many moods which fluctuate as they are vulnerable to any chain of unfortunate events.

Endogenous depression is triggered by major upsetting events or traumatic events in any person's life leading to unexplained fatigue, mental and physical slowness, frequent reawakening and recurrence of the condition. As this is one of the severe forms of depression, there is major suicidal risk with phases of bursting into tears as they can't think positively and feel empty with loss of energy and motivation for activities. This occurs when either work, study, family, emotional pressures are at their greatest.

Signs and symptoms of bipolar affective disorder include overactive and overtalkative individuals with multiple plans and events. Of these plans and events, most are grandiose delusions which reflect strong evidence of impaired judgment. On the subject of impaired judgment, there are incoherent and rapid and disjointed thoughts combined with 3-4 hours sleep per night, auditory hallucinations, paranoia.

Besides these symptoms, our manic depressive is susceptible to grandiose delusions about their mission in life leading to overspending, heavy drinking, financial blunders and sudden descene into psychoses where they lose contact and lose touch with reality. Approximately 1% of the population have recurrent episodes of bipolar affective disorder episodes. Between 16-45 is the average age range for bipolar.

Any amitryptyline or SSRI antidepressants like Prozac work after 2 weeks allthough for severe depression lithium carbonate has long known to be effective over any course of treatment lasting for 6 months.

Cognitive behaviour treatment has long been tested and tried leading to it being classed as effective at changing the negative thought processes so characteristic of depression. CBT teaches the individual to learn fully conscious control to think about events and think about how we feel.

Our thoughts are changed by negative thoughts being challenged and changed to positive thoughts. When the individual becomes active they can challenge this state of hopelessness. Changing conscious thoughts is achieved in small steps by group therapy and counselling. Therefore depression symptoms are treatable.