People who've always rocketed through life, taking problems in stride, are particularly vulnerable. A traumatic event may well trigger their depression because it's probably the first time they've faced a situation in which they are unable to cope. They can become overwhelmed by feelings of loss, grief and disappointment and not know where to turn. In such instances, depression can hit with the force of a tornado, tearing down lives and wrecking stability. In its wake, people simply lose their taste for life, their capacity for joy and their hope.
Endogenous depression is by contrast chemical in origin.
It's harder to diagnose, especially in children and adolescents. And, unlike exogenous depression, it's often a lifelong condition. Its symptoms are much the same as depression brought on by trauma, and they include sudden and violent mood swings, fatigue, loss of appetite, low self-esteem, a tendency to withdraw from social activity and insomnia. The good news is that with treatment, nearly 80 percent of people with depression show an improvement in their symptoms within four to six weeks of beginning medication, psychotherapy, attending support groups or a combination. The causes of endogenous depression are still hotly disputed among research scientists.