Depression - Are women more prone to depression ?

Our mood naturally varies over time and from day to day and everyone gets down sometimes. We may say that we are 'down', 'fed up', or 'feeling under the weather'; we may get disheartened about something that happens or when things don't go the way we would have liked. Although people often say 'I'm depressed' to mean these things, this would not usually be what is called clinical depression and is simply part of the normal ups and downs of life. Some people naturally experience frequent mood changes, while others have a relatively stable equilibrium.

Similarly, if we suffer a major loss, we readily understand that it is normal to grieve. Although some of the emotions we feel when we are bereaved appear similar to depression, grieving is a natural and ultimately healing process. Sometimes, though, past losses which were not fully mourned at the time may later resurface and present as depression much later.

So, what is depression?

Put simply, the distinction between feeling 'down' and being depressed is one of both degree and duration; i.e. low mood becomes problematic when it is frequent, persistent and begins to affect our work, relationships, social activities and self-esteem. Depression includes a persistent low mood and loss of interest or pleasure in life....

Negative thinking

When people are depressed they usually find themselves thinking very negative thoughts about themselves and the world; typically these thoughts are felt to be absolutely true and that there is no way of things ever changing. However, studies have shown that when people are no longer depressed they go back to seeing things in a more positive and balanced way.

Negative thoughts affect the way people feel, therefore frequently perceiving things in a very negative way will exacerbate feelings of depression....

Women have a far greater chance of becoming depressed than men. Why? That's the $2 million question. If that were answered, a lot more women could be spared a lot of agonizing pain. No one fully understands what causes depression-in women or men.

Most likely it's a combination of factors that causes the onset of depression--the result of genetics, biochemistry, and psychological conditions. Studies show, for example, that women who are genetically inclined to depression are more apt to become depressed after a trauma in their life. The genetics factor is one that impacts both women and men. Depression runs in families, often for generations. Over the past decade, scientists have determined that the neurochemical deficiencies seen in depression are transmitted genetically from parents to offspring.

Clearly, social factors also impact on a woman's tendency to have depression. It is not surprising that more women (and--as we saw in the last article-adolescent girls) have low self-esteem, tend to put blame on themselves for others' actions, and take on an excessive amount of responsibilities-mother, wife, housekeeper, employee, den mother, caregiver to ailing parents, etc., etc., etc. And if women begin to feel the warning signs of depression, they are so busy taking care of everyone else they don't take care of themselves. It's a wonder that their aren't even more depressed women!

Depression is often associated with a trauma or major change in one's life, which makes the person more psychologically susceptible to the disease...

How to help yourself

There are some things you can try which have been shown to help lift a depressed mood. These involve changing your behaviour and challenging your negative thoughts.

Changing behaviour

People who are depressed often stop doing pleasurable activities which would make them feel better in the short term, for example they may stop going out, opt out of regular sporting activity, or stop going to see friends or to lectures. Encourage yourself to start doing things again - activity can lift your mood and you may well find that you can do things better than you imagine. If you usually enjoy going to the cinema or swimming, for example, try these things to start with. Any activity will be helpful, but enjoyable activities and physical exercise/sport are particularly effective.

• Start with easier tasks and then progress to more difficult ones: this will help you to regain your confidence
• Be realistic and allow yourself more time to do fewer things
• Allow yourself to feel pleasure at what you have achieved and reward yourself for each achievement
• It is very important to spend time with people who are supportive. Isolating yourself increases depression, while social support helps lift a low mood
• Find people with whom you can be honest about how you are feeling, and with whom you do not have to put on any pretence - but don't take up all their time...

• Develop Interests, Participate in Activites

  Perhaps one of the most common reasons for depression is a lack of enough interests and activities. A small number of them tends to become routine and often boring. Interests and activities are very important in mental health, contributing to self-esteem and happiness. They give satisfaction, help make you feel good about yourself, and keep your mind off problems and negative thoughts and emotions. Simply cultivating them can sometimes cure depression, grief, addiction, explosive anger, anxiety, excessive worrying, or guilt, especially if you do the activities whenever you feel the negative emotion. They are also important social skills that give you pleasant and interesting things to talk about, improving your conversation skills and helping in making and keeping friends. Children with many interests and activities are less likely to have behavior problems, including alcohol or drug abuse, teenage pregnancy, violence, and crime later on. Their wide variety of interests keep them busy and out of trouble and naturally build different circles of friends, so they are less likely to be influenced by the wrong kind of friend.

Keep A Positive Attitude

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Negative thinking habits play a very important role in depression. Research shows depressed people tend to minimize their accomplishments, talents, and qualities...

happy people keep a positive attitude by gracefully accepting sadness and suffering as normal parts of life, while doing what they can about their problems. This also makes them more pleasant to be around and improves their social lives. Part of happiness is a courageous choice of loving life in the face of suffering, a chosen position or view of things.

Are Your Expectations Realistic?

Reexamine your expectations or priorities in life and, if necessary, adjust them to suit reality better.

Get to Work on Personal Problems

Work on your personal problems, using small steps to make sure you avoid becoming overwhelmed.

Tackle Your Bad Habits

Change bad habits that keep you depressed.

Develop Friendships and Relationships

Good social skills and a good network of friendships ranging from casual to intimate ones help prevent depression after life stresses and speeds recovery from depression...

Balance in Your Life

People need a healthy balance between pleasure and work. A few depressed and overwhelmed people need to quit pushing themselves so hard, relax more, and eliminate some work activities...

Many doctors and psychologists recommend regular exercise for depression and note it improves the mood. Exercise invigorates you, giving you more energy. Deep relaxation also helps combat depression and especially helps anxious depressed people. Relaxation helps people find peace within themselves.


Stop seeking consolation with complaints, sighs, sad looks, and crying. Work to make your social interactions more positive by showing warmth toward other people, taking an interest in them, developing and sharing interests and activities, etc


Don't worry about whether you are happy. Develop interests, activities, and friendships, be kind, help other people, strive to be virtuous, accept emotional pain, work on conquering your personal problems, and improve your thinking habits. These things will lead to happiness. Conquering your depression may take months or years, depending on its severity, how long you have had negative thinking habits, your personal problems, and how much effort you put into it.