A depressive disorder is a mental disparity exemplified by a pessimistic sense of insufficiency. A person commonly suffers from feelings of gloom and sadness, downturns in mood, despair, feelings of low self-esteem, guilt, self-pity, and loneliness.

Depression is not just a temporary or situational sadness, but a persistent and pervasive feeling of melancholy or hopelessness that is often associated with weight loss or gain, sleep disturbances, constipation, disturbances of sexual function, and feelings of remorse or self-blame. It also results into withdrawal from interpersonal contact, psychomotor retardation and continuous agitation.

Different types of depression include:

Major Depression

Postpartum or Postnatal Depression

Bipolar Disorder or Manic Depression

Cyclothymic Disorder

Dysthymic Disorder

Seasonal Affective Disorder

One out of 10 people suffer from this disorder. There are many causes of depression. Some types of depression do seem to run in families for generations, suggesting a biological susceptibility. This seems to be the case with bipolar depression and severe major depression.

Causes Depression

Even though depression is now known to have serious effects if it persists for a long length of time, the actual causes of depression are not well defined. It is possible that depression occurs due to a number of reasons which combine to give that feeling of helplessness and inability to cope. These reasons, can involve both internal and external factors.

There are other theories such as the cause of depression arises from genetics. It is considered that it is the family and their behavior that has a predisposition towards depression. There are numerous studies and research that has shown family members who are affected by depression have a genetic makeup that is very different from family members who are unaffected by depression.

It has also been noted that changes in the brain structure or even brain functions may be one of the causes of depression. So, while there is no clear evidence that brain functionality or genetics cause people to be predisposed towards depression, there is ample research data to suggest that this could be the case.

Mood and Stress Disorders

Depression is a severe illness affecting the lives of not only the sufferers but also their families. Anyone can suffer from depression, young or old, male or female. Most causes of mood and anxiety disorders remain unknown and neuropsychiatric disorders are complex.

But it's known that stress is a risk factor for the onset of many psychiatric disorders. A strong genetic predisposition is often blamed for mental illnesses as it is seen that depression run in families. But there is evidence to show that environmental influences can cause increased susceptibility. For example, stressful situations in early life contribute to major risk factors for the subsequent development of depression. Stressful events later in life such as family loss, divorce or financial problems can also cause considerable increase in depression.