Depression affects everyone's life at sometime or another. Depression comes in a wide variety of forms, from mild unhappiness to a chemical imbalance in the mind. There are many different symptoms that reveal a person's problem with depression. If left untreated, depression may continue to develop into a serious illness or even death. Depression is a psychological illness, much like bulimia or anorexia. It affects the mind as much as it does the body. Depression is directly related to many other disabilities: eating disorders, low energy levels, and social difficulties. Scientists have found that depression is the result of imbalances in the way the brain metabolizes chemicals called neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are substances that allow the brain cells to communicate with each other. Serotonin and norepinephrine are the two most common forms of neurotransmitters. Too little serotonin mat cause many symptoms of depression including irritability, sleep loss, and anxiety. Too little norepinephrine may be responsible for fatigue and a sense of hopelessness. A person's genetic structure, environment, and personality are all factors that affect the balance of these chemicals.Depression, at one time or another, affects every living human being. It affects children from the age of six to the elderly. It affects the low class poor to the high-class rich. Everyone is vulnerable to the destruction of depression. Five percent of all adolescents and young adults, ages fifteen to twenty-four, experience a serious level of depression. Women are generally the most commonly affected among young people. A depressed teen is more likely to get into various forms of trouble such as rebellion, truancy, academic problems, sexual promiscuity, and running away. The prevalence of depression among children and students with learning or behavior problems also tend to be higher than that of the general population. It affects the most popular students and...
