PRIVATE CLINIC FOR DEPRESSION

• Depressed, depressed mood
• Loss of interest and joy
• Decreased drive with increased fatigue (often after even small efforts) and activity limitations
• Decreased concentration and attention
• Sleep disturbances
• Decreased self-esteem and self-confidence
• Social withdrawal
• Loss of appetite
• Suicidal thoughts

The symptoms and signs of depression are varied and appear very differently from person to person. For example, there are sufferers who feel a deep sadness – others report indifferent emotional numbness. It is common that somatic complaints, such as headaches and back pain or social withdrawal, are not addressed or ignored – and thus not recognized as symptoms of depression. In men, too, depression often manifests itself in different ways than in women.

There is no certain cause that triggers depression. Depression results from the interaction of various factors. In scientific research, various models show how these factors interact so that the onset of a depressive episode occurs. Such factors can be genetic, biological, psychological or social. This means, for example, that inherited predispositions or disorders in the complex system of neurotransmitters in the brain may be involved. An unbalanced diet and prolonged stress, for example, are among such risk factors. Examples of psychological or social factors include negative thinking patterns, lack of social support and critical life events.

If one or more of these aspects coincide in one phase of life, this constellation can trigger depression. One risk factor is considered to be particularly significant: negatively experienced, chronic stress. Researchers assume that for most of those affected, there was an extended period of time during which they were heavily burdened by stress before the onset of depression. The cause of depression therefore lies in the complex interplay of various factors – it is highly individual.