What Causes Anxiety and Depression Isn't Important, Recognizing the Symptoms Are

Despite the amount of print, radio, TV, and online chatter about depression, its causes, effects, and possible cures the fact remains that the exact cause of depression really isn't known. There are many, many theories and one very common one is that the underlying causes of depression can be traced to an imbalance of substances that occur naturally in the spinal cord and the brain.

This brings up an interesting question: if the cause is not known, how do the big pharmacy companies get away with advertising all the different medications to deal with depression? They can because the medications do work; they just aren't too sure why they do.

While antidepressant medications do work on alleviating the symptoms of depression they are not without risk. Antidepressants are known to increase thoughts of suicide in many young adults, teenagers, and children. Antidepressants are also known to cause changes in behavior such as anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, aggressiveness and others.

Clearly, these medications must be taken only under a doctor's care and supervision.

If you suspect you are suffering from clinical depression, it is important to know what depression is, and what it is not.

Depression is not merely a temporary bad mood and it certainly is not a sign of any personal weakness. Depression is a recognized medical condition with its own set of symptoms. Symptoms of depression are both emotional as well as physical.

Emotional symptoms of depression are:

• feelings of sadness
• No longer being interested in what you used to enjoy
• Difficulty in concentration and making decisions
• Lack of self esteem and/or feeling guilty for no real reason
• Being restless, unable to sit still

Physical symptoms are:

• Changes in sleep patterns or weight
• Overall lack of energy
• Fatigue

If you, or someone you know, are experiencing these symptoms it is crucial that you take steps quickly to alleviate the situation.

You might be more at risk of depression if anyone in your family has a history of depression but other causes of depression are unavoidable such as loss of a job, financial problems, divorce or other relationship difficulties, or another physical illness or difficulty.

The trigger mechanism of depression really does not matter all that much. What does matter is that you recognize the symptoms for what they are and deal with them rather than "suffering in silence".

Talk to your health care provider about all the symptoms you are experiencing, not merely the physical symptoms.

It is also important that you understand that you are not alone in suffering from depression, over 120 million people around the world experience depression from one degree to another.

Please stop by Control Stress.net and read about alternative treatments for anxiety treatments that do not depend on drugs.