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Depression is a force to be reckoned with. It will rob you of the best years of your life. More than 6 million men suffer with depression in America, and if you add in the number of women who also suffer, that number more than doubles. These numbers are alarming and growing every day. Right now approximately 17 percent of Americans suffer from some form of depression. In this article, you will learn what is depression, what causes depression, and how you can easily beat depression without a trip to the pharmacist.

What is Depression

Depression is a serious medical condition, that believe it or not, most people will just ignore. I’d like to believe that the reason for ignoring this condition is to avoid those dangerous antidepressants. It will not just go away and you do not have to take those antidepressants either. Depression is a disease and is nothing to be ashamed of. If gone untreated, it will rob you of your life, you will find a loss of energy, a lack of appetite, and a whole host of issues you might not even realize are related. You might find yourself avoiding social activities and normal get-togethers with friends and colleagues. This is a time you’ll need them most, instead of feeling too embarrassed to face them or let them know how down you’re feeling. Depression comes in several forms, mild, moderate and severe with bouts of anxiety and even panic attacks. All of these issues can be controlled by you, without the doctor visits. A little research, a little exercise, make a few changes in your diet and add a few supplements and you will be astonished by what you can accomplish. Now just think what you can do about your depression if you really get serious.

What causes Depression

Depression usually comes from several sources that add up slowly. Your body is extremely resilient, but after a while these things will add up and cause your system to overload and then break down. Sometimes it can just be one major or traumatic event that sets you in motion. Depression is caused by an imbalance of chemicals or neurotransmitters that carry brain signals to your nerves. Serotonin levels play a major role in depression and most people who suffer from depression have very low serotonin levels. Stress causes depression, now stress maybe next to impossible to avoid these days with our troubled economy, but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn how to manage stress. I think most people can use a little stress management in their lives. Some people can suffer with bouts of depression as a direct result from side effects of medication that they might be taking for another problem they may have all together. Depression can come from many sources, the trick is recognizing it early and taking action before it gets the better of you.

What to do now

First of all, a little exercising is a powerful way to make you feel better about yourself. Exercise releases endorphins and increases serotonin in the brain. This will make you feel better, sleep better and give you that “runners high” feeling. Simple carbohydrates and grains will also help your brain release serotonin. Tryptophan is also very good for helping to produce serotonin. Great sources of tryptophan are turkey, chicken, beef, brown rice, eggs, milk, cheese, fish, fruit, nuts and vegetables. Also, you should stay away from processed foods and excess sugar. You will also need to take natural supplements. The best ones are, and you should start with St. John’s Wort, Rhodiola Rosea, 5-HTP, L-Tyrosine, Fish Oil, Magnesium, Vitamin B, Passion Flower and Acai Berry. This is a great list to start out with. I would research these supplements one by one and see which ones you’d like to try first. They are all great and they will all help. Don’t let the power of depression defeat you.

Depression is the dark cloud in the world of personality disorders that can blot out even the brightest star. Alarmingly the number of people suffering with the condition continues to grow. On any given day approximately 120 million people worldwide suffer from depression. Over the course of a year 6% of the world’s men and 12% of the world’s women will battle an episode of depression. In this informational article titled “Depression Information” we will delve into the specifics of the condition.

Depression is characterized by an extremely sad mood that persists for an extended period of time and a loss of pleasure in perusing life experiences that used to make you happy. A person battling depression likely will be experiencing certain changes in behavior such as problems sleeping, either too much or too little; fatigue or consistently low energy levels; unwarranted changes in weight; loss of concentration and/or focus; and feelings of nervousness or anxiety. When mild to moderate depression makes the leap to severe depression there can also be recurrent thoughts about dying or actual suicide attempts.

If you are experiencing the above symptoms for at least 14 days, you could be diagnosed as having a major depressive disorder. If this condition is left untreated the average time it takes for the condition to resolve itself is nine months. Once the dark cloud of depression has lifted you might return to feeling like your old self. Nevertheless, after your first depressive episode the odds are 50% more likely that another depressive episode is in your future. Perhaps even more disturbing is the fact that with each new episode the odds only get worse that these episodes will keep recurring. For this reason seeking professional help is of paramount importance.

Causes of depression

The precise cause of depression is still unknown. While there are many potential causes let’s briefly cover three of the most common areas that are known to have an effect on its development.

Biology/Brain Chemistry: The neurotransmitters (brain massagers) norepinephrine and serotonin appear to play a major role in the development of depression. Initially, it was thought that low levels of these chemicals in the brain were the cause but more recent studies seem to indicate that these two hormones may regulate other neurotransmitters such as dopamine and acetylcholine.

Heredity: If you have an immediate family member who is depressed, you are up to three times more likely to develop depression than a person who is not related to your family.

Illness: Chronic illnesses (diabetes) or life threatening diseases (cancer) are likely to produce states or depression in even the strongest and most positive personalities. Additionally, certain illnesses cause chemical changes in the body that can cause depression or depression like symptoms.

The amount of depression information conveyed in this article is just the tip of iceberg and you should use this information to build a better understanding of the life altering condition known as depression.

Additionally, many people who are fighting the battle against depression are finding success in the form of natural herbal remedies. These all natural formulas for depression are a safe and effective way to manage common depressive symptoms without the potential side effects of prescription medications.