Are you "Depressed"?

Do you feel like you're drowning in life's journey? Are you just going through the motions?

I heard a saying one time that I feel is such a profound statement about "depression" and I'd like to share it with you today.

"Depression is living in a body that fights to survive . . . with a mind that tries to die"!

So for the next few days, let's take a moment to discover why we feel this emotion.

You see . . . "depression" is deeper than just being sad, lonely or scared.

The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 16.2 million U.S. adults have had at least one major depressive episode. And sadly . . . "depression" is becoming a more common mental disorder.

Globally . . . more than 264 million people of all ages suffer from depression. And unfortunately . . . "depression" is a leading cause of disability worldwide and is a major contributor to the overall global burden of disease. With more women being affected than men.

Science states "Depression" is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest, which affects how we feel, think and behave. This is turn, can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems.

It's well known, that life events, long-term unemployment, living in an abusive or uncaring relationship, long-term isolation or loneliness and prolonged work stress are "all" among the elements that make us feel depressed.

We're also told that other elements like faulty mood regulation by the brain, genetic vulnerability, medications and medical problems are some of the factors that cause depression.

We even know that the hormone called "cortisol" that I've spoken about many times . . . is a key factor in depression. The influx of cortisol triggered by depression also causes the amygdala to enlarge. This is a part of the brain associated with emotional responses. And when it becomes larger and more active . . . it causes "sleep disturbances", changes in activity levels, and changes in other hormones. This in turn causes "brain inflammation".