Depression can affect anyone at any point in their lives. It can range from mild unhappiness, to suicidal feelings and actions. Depression is closely linked with SI. Many people turn to SI to deal with their depression, feeling that it releases their emotions. Up to 1 in 3 pople in the UK suffer from depression. It is increasing particulary in teenagers, but parants and friends often do not realise there is a problem. There are many forms of depression, each with different symptoms and treatments.
Symtoms

-Mood swings
-anxiety
-tearfulness
-loss of confidence
-withdrawal
-agitation
-sleeping and eating problems
-loss of sex drive
-an inability to concentrate
-an increase in yelling and complaning
-nausea
-aches and pains
-losing intrest on previously enjoyed activites
-In more serious depression suffers can also experience hallucinations, paronoia and a loss of grip pn reality. Some can become very withdrawn, up tp the point of immobility.

This is a broad list of symptoms, and not all may be present with any given case of depression, and the symptoms can vary between types of depression, each type having their own defining symptoms.
Causes
Depression can be caused by many things, and the reason can often be unclear. Different people will be effected by events diferently, which can lead to depression.
1. Depressed mood: this involves feeling sad or empty, and can be joined by a lack of energy and enthusiasam. It can bedue to unhappy or stressful events, or maby be more long term.
2. Chronic low-grade depression: this is where someone has had a depressed moodfor about 2 years, and includes sleeping and eating changes, and low seld-esteem. Although NOT as severe as major depression, the person will often feel distressed and feind it hard to do everyday tasks.
3. Major Depression: this severely depressed state can lead to immobilty and complete lack of motivation.
4. Bi-polar Disorder (manic depression): this for of depression usally envolves both "reactive" and "endogenous" causes. It involves periods of highness and hyper-activety, (manias), and then very low periods, with feeling of suicide and total loss of intrest in anything.
Types of depression
"Reactive" Type of Depression
This type of depression is a reaction to negative events in ur life. This could be the death of someone close, splitting up with a partner, family or financial difficulties. The cause of this depression needs to be addressed and if possible sorted out, so this kind of depression does not respond as well to drug therapy.

Endogenous Depression
Depression like this is thought to be caused by chemical imbalances in the brain.This type of depression may require more long-term treatment.
Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

1