Don't Let Depression Ruin a Good Thing Feeling down? Got the blues? You're not alone. Everyone gets. sad (yes, everyone you've ever met). Some people have sad feelings just once in a while, and others may have sad feelings pretty often. More than half of agers go through a sad period at least once a month and plenty of younger kids do, too. When you're in a sad mood, it may feel like it will last forever, but usually feelings of sadness don't last very long a few hours, or maybe a day or two. A deeper, more intense kind of sadness that lasts a lot longer is called depression. Each year millions of people are estimated to suffer from depression, a condition so widespread that it has been dubbed 'the common cold of mental illness. ' Symptoms of Depression Depression is associated with many symptoms and not everyone has the same ones. Some people have many symptoms, while others may only have a few. The symptoms below may signal that you or someone you love may be depressed: Appearance—sad face, slow movements, absent-minded look Unhappy feelings—feeling sad, hopeless, discouraged, or listless Negative thoughts—'I'm a failure,' 'I'm no good,' 'No one cares about me. ' Reduced activity—'I just sit around and mope,' 'Doing anything is just too much of an effort.' Reduced concentration. People problems—'I don't want anybody to see me,' 'I feel so lonely.' Guilt and low self-esteem—'It's all my fault,' 'I should be punished.' Physical problems—Sleeping problems, weight loss or gain, decreased ual interest, or headaches. Suicidal thoughts or wishes—'I'd be better off dead,' 'I wonder if it hurts to die.' Causes of Depression The exact cause of depression remains unclear. The most probable explanation is that it is an imbalance in neurotransmitters (神经传递素) in the brain. But what triggers it in the first place? First, genetic factors. There is growing interest in genetic approaches t6 understanding a variety of diseases and depression is no exception. Some people certainly seem to be more vulnerable to depression than others and there is growing evidence that some genes could make individuals susceptible to the disease. Some studies have shown that people who have relatives with depression have a one in four chance of developing it themselves, compared with only one in four for the general population. Secondly, external triggers. In most cases just having these genes is probably not enough to cause depression on its own. Depression can be triggered by a number of factors such as unemployment, bereavement (丧亡), social isolation or even a severe physical illness. Victims of Depression Anyone may suffer from depression, regardless of age, gender, race and belief. It is 'normal' for certain people to feel depressed-such as women, older people, employees with work-related stress, or people with chronic illness. Women are more than twice as' likely as men to experience depression. Although the reasons for this difference are not known, research suggests that biological differences in women such as hormonal(荷尔蒙) changes and genetics-may contribute to depression. Additionally, social reasons, such as greater stresses from work and family responsibilities, and even the increased rates of ual abuse and poverty among women, may lead to higher rates of clinical depression. Depression affects employees at all levels of the corporate ladder. One in every 20 employees experiences the illness. An estimated 200 million workdays are lost each year due to employee depression. Depression tends to affect people in their prime working years and if left untreated may last a lifetime. Clinical Depression and