depression is depression that is usually the result of some difficult personal experience, like the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, financial problems, health issues, etc. This type of depression is sometimes easier to understand as the origin of the feelings is usually known.

Endogenous depression
Endogenous depression is not always triggered by an upsetting or stressful event. Those affected by this common form of depression may experience physical symptoms such as weight change, fatigue, sleeping problems and low mood as well as poor concentration and low self-esteem. With this type of depression, people cannot always identify any obvious cause for their symptoms and this can be worrying. In simple terms, this type of depression is depression where the cause is not clearly apparent.

Bipolar disorder (previously called Manic Depression)
People with bipolar disorder experience mood swings with 'highs' of excessive energy and elation, and 'lows' of utter despair and lethargy. Delusions or hallucinations can also occur. Most people with this condition usually have their first episode in their late teens or early twenties.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
This type of depression generally coincides with the approach of winter. It is often linked to shortening of daylight hours and lack of sunlight. Symptoms may include wanting to sleep excessively and cravings for carbohydrates or sweet foods. Special lights that mimic sunlight can be used to treat this kind of depression.

Postnatal depression
Some women become depressed after having a baby. There may be an obvious reason for these feelings but often there is not. This type of depression can be particularly distressing when a mother

is depressed at a time when she feels she should be enjoying the arrival of her new baby. This can lead to feelings of guilt and a sense of not coping with motherhood. Around one in every ten women has PND after having a baby.

Depression and women
Women are more likely than men to have received treatment for a mental health problem such as depression.  Approximately 29 percent of women will suffer from a mental health problem in comparison with 17 percent of men. It has also been found that about 1 in 4 women will suffer from depression compared to 1 in 10 men. Various reasons have been suggested for this difference. One thought is that men are less likely to actually report the symptoms of depression. Another belief is that various social and biological factors predispose women to depression and related mental health disorders. Some experts believe that men experience depression more often than statistics indicate, and the discrepancy is mostly due to depression being under-diagnosed in men. Women are also twice as likely to suffer from anxiety as men and when anxiety is present alongside depression, treatment can be a great deal more complicated.

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