Depression, a disturbance in our moods characterized by extreme feelings of sadness, is often accompanied by physical symptoms, McGrath said.
Clinical depression varies in form from mild to moderate to severe.
Symptoms and the level with which the depression interferes with one's daily life determine different types of depression, McGrath said. Biochemical or distorted expectations of oneself can trigger these forms of depression, Anders said. McGrath said females suffer from depression twice as much as men. A possible explanation for this difference, he said, is that a woman's life cycle involves numerous mood altering hormonal effects, such as pregnancy and the menstrual cycle. Antidepressants became popular with this generation due to their lack of side effects.