DEPRESSION

The sensation of feeling sad, low, emotionally, and lose interest in things you once enjoyed is what is called depression. You should know that depression is a disease such as diabetes or arthritis, and is not just a feeling of sadness or discouragement. This disease progresses every day affects your thoughts, feelings, physical health, and their behavior. 
Depression is not the fault of the person suffering, nor is it a weakness of personality. It is a medical illness that is very common and can affect anyone. About 1 in 20 people, twice as many women as men

CAUSES

Depression can be caused by many reasons:

Heredity (transmitted in his family).

• Other diseases. 
• Certain medications. 
• The use of drugs or alcohol. 
• Other mental (psychiatric).

Sometimes a bad emotional situation (loss of a relative, or a work problem), can trigger depression or cause the patient can recover completely, but sometimes occurs even when everything in their lives are going well. Between 10 and 15 percent of the depressions are caused by a medical problem (thyroid disease, cancer, or neurological disease) or drugs. Once treatment is given against the disease, or set to the appropriate medication dose and depression disappear.

SYMPTOMS

People with depression have certain characteristic symptoms that concern them most days for at least a period of two weeks. 

Of these the most characteristic symptoms are:

• Losing interest in things you once enjoyed. 
• Feeling sad, low or downcast emotionally.  And are associated with side:
• Feeling you have no energy, tired, or conversely, feel restless and unable to keep pace. 
• Feel worthless or guilty. 
• You increase or decrease appetite or weight. 
• Thoughts of death or suicide. 
• Having trouble concentrating, thinking, remembering, or making decisions. 
• Unable to sleep or sleeping too much. In addition there are associated symptoms of physical or psychological, such as: 
• Headaches. 
• General aches all the body parts. 
• Digestive or stomach problems. 
• Sexual problems. 
• Feeling pessimistic 
• Feeling anxious or worried.

TYPES OF DEPRESSION

• Severe depression. When the person has almost all the symptoms of depression and depression preventing him from completing activities of daily living. 
• Moderate depression. When the person has many symptoms of depression and keep you from doing these activities of daily living. 
• Mild depression. When the person has some symptoms of depression and conduct their activities of daily life takes an extraordinary effort.

ATTITUDE TO DEPRESSION

The lack of depression as a disease with all possible symptoms leads people to blame themselves for symptoms, and do not know that there are treatments for the disease. So if you have some symptoms of depression should contact your GP or other health organizations.
 
Usually what happens then is that:

• It will try to determine if there is a physical reason that causes depression. • It will provide treatment for depression. 
• Recommending the patient to a mental health specialist for further evaluation to be made and treatments.

Treatment for depression helps ease the concern of their illness, and washes away all the symptoms of depression, allowing you to resume your normal life. Early treatment is more effective and more time that passes before you start the harder it is to overcome depression. The treatment can be seen in a few weeks, although sometimes the proper treatment is not the first and will need to change it until you find the ideal for each case.

TREATMENT

The main treatments for depression are:

• Antidepressant medications. 
• Psychotherapy (talking with a therapist who specializes in these problems) 
• A combination of antidepressant medication and psychotherapy.

There is an appropriate treatment for each of the types of depression and be their doctor or therapist to diagnose the type of depression you have and start the most appropriate treatment for you.
 
Treatment for depression usually is two steps, the first is intensive to make the symptoms of depression disappear, and the second is following a treatment, even after the bar is found, it is important because it prevents depression from coming back. The whole treatment can last about six months. Sometimes if the depression is recurrent (three or more episodes), it performs a maintenance treatment for a longer period, 1 or 2 years.