• Changes in sleeping pattern -they sleep too much or cannot sleep at all.
• Feelings of guilt, hopelessness, or worthlessness.
• Inability to concentrate, remember things, or make decisions.
• Constant tiredness or loss of energy.
• Restlessness or decreased activity.
• Frequent thoughts of suicide or death.
Some Risk Factors:.
.
With any illness it's natural to wonder what causes it and if you"re at risk. Like many other complex disorders, depression offers no simple answers. The illness may develop for a variety of reasons. That's why depression is so common. In many cases, depression results from not just one factor but a combination of them:.
• Family History - If someone in your family has or had depression, that doesn't mean you"ll develop it too. A family history of depression does, however, appear to increase your risk.
• Genetics - An inherited susceptibility to a disease occurs when a particular gene fails to give the correct instructions for cell functioning.
• Stressful situations - Going through a stressful life event doesn't mean that you"ll become depressed, but it can increase your risk.
1. Death and other losses.
2. Relationship troubles.
3. Major life events.
4. Job Stresses.
• Past Experiences - people who have survived deeply upsetting events in the past, are at higher risk of developing depression.
1. A high level of conflict between parents.
2. Family violence.
3. Abuse.
4. Loss of a parent due to separation, divorce, or death.
5. Illness in a parent.
6. Childhood Abuse.
7. Post-traumatic stress.
8. Growing up with an alcoholic.
• Chemical Dependence - Dependence on alcohol or drugs can increase your risk of depression. Thirty to sixty percent of people with substance abuse problems also experience a mood or anxiety disorder.
• Prescription medications - Long term use of medications may cause symptoms of depression in some people.