Depression - Causes

If you're craving sugar, the problem may be more serious than merely trying to satisfy an occasional sweet tooth. You may be addicted to sugar.

New research reveals possible reasons why some folks sweat the small stuff and others go with the flow.

During the Great Depression, suicide rates hit their highest level ever, increasing almost 23 percent over the four years of the depression. Since then, suicide rates have consistently risen during times of economic downturns.

Some mental health experts believe social networking can increase stress and anxiety, and they've have even coined names to describe this phenomenon, such as Social Media Anxiety, Social Networking Anxiety, and Facebook Depression.

Does summertime make you sad? While most people welcome the warm weather, long days, and opportunities for outdoor activities, a small percent of the population feels depressed instead.

One of the challenges in diagnosing mental health disorders is that symptoms of different diseases tend to overlap. Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and obsessive compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) are two related conditions that are easy to confuse.

While talking to a trained mental health professional can be invaluable for many patients, nothing compares to talking to others who are going through the same experience. But can the Internet substitute quality interpersonal dialogue?

Antidepressants are the most commonly prescribed medication in the country, so mental health experts are trying to understand if, when, and how patients should cease taking them. Here, a guide to the transition to life without depression medication.

Work in the United States has become a 24-hour phenomenon. Working irregular hours may also lead to a condition characterized by insomnia, excessive sleepiness during work, difficulties concentrating, headaches, and lack of energy.

Although a few short nights can make us cranky and irritable, generally our mood returns to normal once we've resumed our regular sleeping routine. For individuals who struggle with depression, however, insomnia can be a chronic problem.

You're a smart person. So why, when you're under the most stress, does it seem your brain shuts down and your intelligence disappears?

Depression is one of the most common complications in people with chronic illness, occurring in up to one-third of chronically ill patients. Learn how to manage your symptoms with these tips.

Having children is an exciting, rewarding experience for most parents. For women suffering from depression, however, parenting is especially difficult and untreated depression can have long-lasting effects on their children.

The topic of hoarding might make good fodder for TV program ratings and mindless entertainment for viewers. But it's a real problem that affects real people. Is it possible that you're among the 15 million who suffer from it?

Being sensitive can be an admirable trait. However, if you're highly affected by other people's moods and actions, you could be too sensitive.

Just because your symptoms are gone, doesn't mean your depression is. In fact, many relapse as soon as six months after treatment. Read on for triggers and preventative measures.

You know physical activity is good for you, and that lack of exercise is associated with negative physical and mental outcomes. However, did you know exercise is also an effective way to stop a panic attack in its tracks?

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a severe and chronic mental health condition that disrupts a person's ability to regulate their emotions. Read on to get the comprehensive information you need to navigate the condition.

Mental health disorders such as depression permeate every aspect of your life, and may cause a multitude of other complications, some of which are even life threatening. Most, however, are easily avoided.

Flipping through magazines, you see page after page of impossibly skinny and perfect people. Many magazines use photography angles, effects, and techniques to alter what you see, but could these photos be subconsciously affecting your confidence and self-image?

While medication generally provides significant relief from depression, many patients find their symptoms persist. A variety of factors can contribute to treatment-resistant depression; however, with a bit of know-how, you can find a treatment regimen that works.

Many things can temporarily derail a relationship, including an episode of depression. It is possible, however, to get relationships back on track after treatment.

Using music as a tool to heal dates back to Aristotle and Plato. But can the right tunes address modern day emotional woes? Read on to find out.

Many symptoms of mental illnesses overlap and can fluctuate from day to day, or week to week. This problem often occurs with two common mental health conditions: bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder.

Panic attacks are frightening and disruptive enough, and you don't need the additional stress of worrying about whether common misconceptions about panic disorders are true.

Chronic pain and obesity are epidemics in the United States and new research is shedding some light on why. A new study that obesity and pain are also linked to each other as well as other conditions.

Do you tend to worry too much about everyday things, even when there's no real reason for worry? Do you have trouble relaxing, concentrating, or sleeping? Are you plagued with unexplained aches and pains? If you answered yes, you may be suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

If you've struggled with giving up a bad habit, or trying to create a new one, don't be too hard on yourself; it's not a personal weakness or lack of self-control. Turns out, there's a whole science behind habit formation.

Forty to 50 percent of Parkinson s patients also suffer from depression. Not only does it cause poorer quality of life for patients, depression is associated with faster progression of physical symptoms and greater cognitive decline.

Have you ever stopped to take a deep breath (or two or three) in the midst of an anxiety-provoking situation? That s a smart move. Breathing is an effective way to tame the symptoms of anxiety.