on of genetic, biochemical and environmental factors.
             There are several types of mood disorders: major depression and bipolar disorder (also known as manic depression). Major Depression is the diagnosis for a group of symptoms that include feeling sad, hopeless, and despondent. There is also loss of interest in most normal activities. Symptoms of major depression include feelings of sadness, loss of interest in normally pleasurable activities, changes in appetite and sleep, loss of energy, and problems with concentration and decision-making.
             This mood disorder is diagnosed twice as often in women as in men. During any six-month period, approximately 6.6% of women and 3.5% of men will have an episode of major depression. This ratio holds true across nationalities and ethnic groups. It is estimated that 100 million people in the world suffer from major depression. It is a fairly chronic condition with as many as 10% of depressed patients being continuously ill for 15 years or more.
             Dysthymia is a mild case of a major depression. The disorder is chronic, with recurrent pessimism, low energy level, and low self-worth. Whereas major depression tends to occur in a series of extremely debilitating episodes, dysthymia is more a continuous sense of being depressed and sad. There is no identifiable event that causes the depressed mood of dysthymia. To feel overwhelmingly depressed when you hear of the death of a good friend is not the same type of depression as dysthymia. We all have periods of depression from time to time, but when we do, there is usually a reason for it. With major depression and dysthymia, there is a distressing debilitating mood that is present without reason.
             Depressive illnesses often interfere with normal functioning and cause pain and suffering not only to those who have a disorder, but also to those who care about them. Serious depression can destroy family life as well as the life of the ill person. But much ...