It is easy to detect signs of depression and normally it starts when a person start to dislike doing things that he or she previously likes to do. Deviation from normal activities is also another tell-tale sign of depression taking place. Also, people suffering from depression are likely to isolate themselves from others and do not like to socialize with people around them. However, always remember that when you are suffering depression, it does not only affect you, but others are also affected as they care for you and want to help you in any way possible.

Manic depression happens to anyone, of any gender and age. Even though most cases of manic depression occurs when a person reaches late adolescence of early adulthood, it still can affect children and the elderly too. Such forms of manic depression can attack anyone regardless of race gender or social status also. Yet, we have to take note that the symptoms of manic depression differ between man and women. However we do not have to fear as bipolar disorder can still be treated with medication and counseling from experts. Most of the time such disorder happens due to a certain type of major mood swing that a person is not able to come out from.
Manic depression can be either categorized under Bipolar I disorder or Bipolar II disorder. Bipolar I disorder is characterized by elevated moods for at least a week, decreased need of sleep, flight of ideas, and so on. Bipolar II category, on the other hand, is categorized as depressive mood behavior with at least one hypo-manic experience. Especially for the second disorder, it can seriously cause damage to a person’s social life due to the extreme mood changes he or she suffers from.

Manic depression can be very harmful to a person’s emotional life and can cause traumatic experiences for a person. It is also often indescribable and there has yet to be an instant cure for it. If left untreated; manic depression can worsen over time and go on for days or even months. It is always advised that if you know you are suffering from any kind of depression, it would be best if you can seek professional help as soon as possible. But never leave it untreated as it can worsen your mental and physical condition beyond your imagination. It can cause you to commit crimes you never wanted to and in some cases even lead to suicide. Furthermore these behaviors may and can manifest any time at any place; do not take your chances, seek help now!

Below are some of the symptoms linked with depression:
- feeling tired mentally or physically
- feeling empty, anxious for nothing, always being sad
- having no interest in anything
- Always crying with no reason
- change in sleep patterns, wanting to sleep more
- eating disorders (anorexia)
- Decreased sex drive or sexual dysfunction
- Constant death or suicide thoughts; attempted suicide
- Body aches that would not go away
- Unable to concentrate, poor
- Easily irritated and stressed

With these symptoms more or less stated clearly, let us look into some of them in greater detail.
Fatigue in depression will cause a person to feel that he or she is always tired and weary despite of how long you have slept. You feel just as tired in the morning as when you have just gone to bed the previous night. You just feel like doing everything slowly, taking your own time to complete your tasks.

In depression, it is almost inevitable that a person would suffer from low self-esteem. You would feel worthless and feel as if that your existence on earth was a mistake and wished you had never been born. You also suffer from having excessive guilt that you laden yourself with for no reason.

Being easily irritated, agitated and angered are also common signs of depression. You feel restless and easily get annoyed by things that do not normally affect you at all. You feel that everyone has a grudge against you and wants to get back at you for it.

Depression can be kept under control if we are able to spot it before it gets full blown, just like any other medical condition. Being equipped with the knowledge of the signs of depression, we can no doubt be a help to friends or family members who may suffer from depression.

Food and supplements have a part to play in the battle against depression. Food such as fish oil contains a certain type of omega-3 fatty acid that can help suppress the depressive feelings and help alleviate the symptoms of depression. Also, it provides for the DHA fatty acids that our brain needs to function on and also help to improve our moods. Supplements in the form of vitamin B and folic acid can also help act as anti-depressants. Research has shown that low levels of folic acid are related to mood changes and depression. People with lower folic acid levels tend to be less happy and have constant feelings of sadness. However the catch is that scientists have not found out whether the low level of folic acid is due to the depression or is the depression caused by the low folic acid level.

Other than food, exercise is also very essential to keep our moods healthy. Exercise helps our body increase the production of certain chemicals within our body that are related to our moods. With the increased production of these chemicals, our body naturally would become happier and that would alleviate the symptoms of depression and act as a cure for the sad feelings associated with depression. Furthermore, exercise can help in the absorption of certain medication and also it can help to boost our emotional life.

Depression also need not affect our lives if we have a healthy self-esteem and great self confidence of ourselves! Optimistic thinking can not only battle against depression, but in most cases can prevent depression itself too. We have to understand that we are who we are and that we are great just being ourselves. Realizing one’s own potential is essential to understanding that we are not worthless and we are a part of society. However, this may not be applicable in all cases as severe depression still requires some sort of medical attention.

Do not be afraid of depression if it is ever present in your life, know that you can beat it and you have the potential to overcome it! Seek help immediately if you have to and know that you are not alone. With help from others and sheer will-power, you can overcome depression and lead a healthy life!

St. John's Wort - St. John's Wort has long been used for the treatment of depression and anxiety. Studies have been favored this particular herb as it truly possesses the ability to treat depression and thus is widely used for the treatment of depression. Besides, it has also been treated as nature’s Prozac as it bolsters the amount of serotonin in our brain, a kind of brain chemical related to our moods, and is found to be responsible for our good moods. It also improves the production of other brain chemicals that promote concentration ability that are also related to moods.

Kava - Kava an herb that is widely used in the Fiji Islands for a long time now is also classified as one of the greatest herbs to treat depression. It has an ability to promote a calm state of mind and helps relaxes the body. More specifically, Kava helps treat depression occurring with anxiety.

Ginkgo Biloba - Ginkgo is often praised for its ability to increase oxygen flow to the brain and other bodily tissues. Ginkgo can also improve our memory by causing an increase in our neurotransmitter activity and thus can help depression especially in the elderly who suffer reduced blood flow to the brain.

Besides herbal medication that can be used to treat depression, there are also other kinds of natural nutrients that can aid in the treatment process of depression by lifting your depressive feelings and enhance our mood.

Fish Oil – The omega 3 fatty acids found in fish oil haven been proven to be very effective in boosting our mood and lessen depression. However it only applies the omega 3 fatty acids found in fish oil and not those found in other food stuff. Research has also proven that with a lack of these omega-3 fatty acids, it may lead to a person to suffer from depression.

Herbal medicine may seem effective, however like said previously, it is meant for use only in depression cases that are mild. For more severe cases of depression, professional help is definitely needed, or else there is no harm trying out these herbal medicines, since they do not contain any side effects.

It is commonly believed that a combination of biological, genetic and environmental factors would result in depression. Besides leading to the commonly known clinical depression, it can also lead to psychotic depression which is a very severe type of depression. For example, when a dear person to you passes on in an accident (environmental), you will be grieved but adding on to it the biological and genetic factors as well, you would probably end up in such a deep depression hole that you would need medication to get out of it.

Environmental factors or also known as circumstantial factors play a big part in a persons fall into depression. Environmental factors can come in the form of losing a job, a loved one, or having a traumatic childhood experience or having grown up in extreme social conditions. These all helps shape our mind and thinking since young and play a great part in the creation of mental disorders. Given a hypothetical example, you're dating a nice girl for a while and you are so sure she is the one for you. One day, you found out that being together may mean compromising a lot of yourself and you are not sure whether to break up with her or stay on in the relationship. You are then confronted with a dilemma, with no right solution. That can cause major depression too.

Genetic factors have to deal with your family background and history. Some families have a history of depression, where it runs through the family. Though depression has yet to be proven to be hereditary, research has shown that a person with a depressive parent are more likely to become depressed themselves. Actually, this has got to do with the environment the child grows up in also. As we all know that parents are the one who impart values to their children, it is inevitable when a depressive parent teaches her child to be good, her contradictory actions may actually sub-consciously affected the development of their child causing them to become depressive.

The biological factor implies an improper level or amounts of brain chemicals in our brain. Depression can also set off from hormonal change, explaining the cause for postpartum depression. However, the problem with this theory is that it has yet to be confirmed whether it is the imbalance in brain chemicals that causes the depressive state or is it the depressive state that causes the imbalance in brain chemicals.
These are some of the causes of depression and no doubt there may be others, but this is the overview of all of them. Being able to look out for these causes of depression, we can be more equipped to prevent it from occurring in our lives. Depression can be fatal, we should be aware of what causes it and should take the necessary actions to protect ourselves from it.