If one is sad, or cannot sleep, or cannot eat; some other depressed person is experiencing the opposite feelings in the continuum, which are ecstasy, oversleeping and over eating. What is common however among all the depressed persons are their low esteem, hopelessness and helplessness. They no longer feel pleasure from food, sex or other activities that usually give satisfaction and enjoyment. It seems as if someone within them is telling them to give up. When these symptoms occur, time is of the essence. He has to be taken for medical help before he progresses to be harmful to himself. And that is when the aspect of self-loathing set in. The person should now be monitored so that he can be safe from himself. Suicide prevention is done by taking into consideration his basic needs and characteristics so that he can be fully understood to know what course of action should be taken for him. When treated early, the regimen can be very effective.

The causes of depression can be traced to problems that befell the individual. It might be work related, financial or relationship problems, or loss of a loved one. Some normal people would go through depression for a while and they can get out of it if they can accept the situation and be realistic. The manic- depressive however, do not have the skills to understand and accept the new negative situation that he has encountered. The depressed person should therefore undergo treatment that would make him change his outlook in life and be positive and realistic to be able to react well to the negative situation.

Genetics also play a role in the situation of the manic-depressive. Families who are prone to mental illness pass on their genes to their children so that these children have weak mental inclinations.

In this modern society, studies and experiments have progressed in finding a cure for depression and mental illness. There are clinical treatments as well as naturopathic ways. What is important is the individual should be given attention as soon as the signs of depression are noted.

The factors that can trigger depression in a new mother are

1. The stress of the birthing event
2. A negative event that happened during birth
3. Hormonal changes that caused chemical imbalance in the brain.

Giving birth can indeed sap a woman of her strength as she has given all her might to bring the baby outside her body. It can add to her stress if some negative events during the birth have put her safety or that of the baby in danger. One hormone that is a culprit of depression is the thyroid hormone. Medication would be needed to cure the imbalance.

When a new mother is depressed, she would most likely manifest the following symptoms. A woman might have one or two of these symptoms.

1. Fatigue

   

2. Fear and anxiety
3. Over eating or have no appetite
4. Over sleeping or insomnia
5. Changes in mood
6. Bad tempered
7. Suicidal inclinations

As to the kinds of depression a new mother could undergo, there are three kinds:

1. Baby blues  this is usually very common manifested by opposite emotions like being very happy or very sad that could lead to excessive crying. This is however a mild form of depression and would go away usually after two weeks.
2. Postpartum psychosis  is more severe than baby blues and occurs in less than 1% in women who had just given birth. Its symptoms are seeing visions, neglecting herself and the baby, disorientation and having unusual behaviors. She would have irrational thinking about the baby and she is now a danger to her child. She would need medical treatment and she should be supervised at all times so that she cannot harm the baby or herself.
3. Postpartum depression is also serious but is very common among new mothers as it roughly affects one in 7 new mothers. The problem is it has no identifying symptoms as it is manifested by the same symptoms that happen to a woman after giving birth.

Now that we are familiar with pregnancy and depression, we would now be able to spot changes in our loved ones, which this event will occur.

It is now estimated that one out of five people underwent some kind of depression in their life. They might range from mild to severe. With the fast-paced world we now are in, some people fail to relax, meditate, get the support of family and friends or take pleasure out of little things. All they think about is money or prestige and when they fall short of their goals, they break down. Japan which is a very work and ethics oriented country has thousands of their citizens committing suicide.

It is said that women are more susceptible to depression than men. However, it is the men who do not accept reality and do not go for treatment. There are many ways of curing depression and among them is:

1. Use of antidepressants. People get depression because there is chemical imbalance in the brain. These anti depressants help correct the imbalance. Side effects can sometimes be uncomfortable in this kind of treatment like lethargy and stiffness. It is imperative therefore to consult your physician so your medication can be studied to suit with you.
2. Psychotherapy is perhaps the best cure for depression. There is the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Interpersonal Therapy. With the aid of a Psychiatrist or a Psychologist, the patient can talk about his inner feelings and thoughts and he is given advise how to cope with his problems and change his negative outlook. People who respond to psychotherapy are usually cured and there is no side effect to this treatment.
3. Another treatment for depression is Electro Convulsive Therapy or ECT. This is usually administered to severe cases when all other treatments fail. It is said to have positive results when done well, however when it is administered wrongly it can have adverse effects.
4. There are some other holistic treatments are yoga, acupuncture and acupressure and with the use of natural supplements and herbs to lift the mood of a depressed person.

Once a person has gotten out of depression, he should take care that he will not go into relapse. He should find an activity that is pleasurable and fulfilling. He should join interest groups so that he can associate with others. He should also join a church that is acceptable to him and so he can have a positive morale. One should be extremely thankful that he is now on the road to depression recovery.