WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF DEPRESSION ? 

• Abuse :-  Physical, sexual, or emotional abuse can make you more vulnerable to depression later in life.
• Age :- People who are elderly are at higher risk of depression. That can be made worse by other factors, such as living alone and having a lack of social support.
• Medications :-  Some drugs, such as isotretinoin (used to treat acne ), the antiviral drug corticosteroids, can increase the risk of depression.
• Conflict :- Depression in someone who has the biological vulnerability to it may result from personal conflicts or disputes with family members or friends.
• Death or a loss :-  Sadness or grief  after the death or loss of a loved one, though natural, can increase the risk of depression.
• Gender :- Women are about twice as likely as men to become depressed. No one’s sure why. The hormonal changes that women go through at different times of their lives may play a role.
• Genes :- A family history of depression may increase the risk.  
• Major events.  Losing a job or income, getting divorced, or retiring can  lead to depression. Even good events such as starting a new job, graduating, or getting married can lead to depression.  
• Other personal problems. Problems such as social isolation due to other mental illnesses or being cast out of a family or social group can contribute to the risk of developing clinical depression.
• Serious illnesses. Sometimes, depression happens along with a major illness or may be triggered by another medical condition.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION ? 

Common symptoms of depression  

• Feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness or hopelessness
• Sleep disturbances, including insomnia or sleeping too much
• Tiredness and lack of energy 
• Reduced appetite and weight loss or increased cravings for food and weight gain
• Anxiety, agitation or restlessness
• Slowed thinking, speaking or body movements
• Feelings of worthlessness or guilt, fixating on past failures or self-blame
• Angry outbursts, irritability or frustration, even over small matters
• Loss of interest or pleasure in most or all normal activities, such as sex, hobbies or sports
• Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions and remembering things
• Frequent or recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts or suicide
• Unexplained physical problems, such as back pain or headaches

Depression symptoms in children and teens

Common signs and symptoms of depression in children and teenagers  

• Sadness, irritability, clinginess, worry, aches and pains, refusing to go to school, or being underweight in younger children .
• In teens, symptoms may include sadness, irritability, feeling negative and worthless, anger, poor performance or poor attendance at school, feeling misunderstood and extremely sensitive, using recreational drugs or alcohol, eating or sleeping too much, self-harm, loss of interest in normal activities, and avoidance of social interaction.
  

Depression symptoms in older adults

• Physical pain 
• Memory difficulties or personality changes
• Fatigue, 
• loss of appetite, 
• Sleep problems 
• Loss of interest in sex  
• Often wanting to stay at home, rather than going out to socialise or doing new things
• Suicidal thinking or feelings, especially in older men & females     

WHAT ARE THE COMPLICATIONS OF DEPRESSION ? 

• Excess weight or obesity, which can lead to heart disease and diabetes
• Anxiety, panic disorder or social phobia
• Pain or physical illness
• Alcohol or drug misuse
• Suicidal feelings, suicide attempts or suicide
• Self-mutilation, such as cutting
• Premature death from medical conditions
• Family conflicts, relationship difficulties, and work or school problems
• Social isolation  

SCOPE OF HOMEOPATHY IN DEPRESSION 

The homeopathic system of medicine carries an excellent scope to treat depression in a very safe, gentle and effective manner. Made of natural substances, homeopathic remedies are deep acting medicines that work at the psychological level to bring about recovery from depression.

Another benefit of using homeopathy for depression is that none of the homeopathic remedies are habit-forming, or cause dependency. Once the problem is fixed, the person can gradually discontinue the medication, or take it sporadically as suggested by a homeopathic physician. Since conventional antidepressants affect different chemicals in the brain (like serotonin and dopamine), there are chances of drug-dependency & side effects like weight gain ,sleeplessness , headache ,sexual dysfunction etc.