When stress is to great for a person to handle their adjustment mechanism is unresponsive and depression may be triggered. Dysthymia is perhaps the most common type of chronic low-grade depression. This condition involves long-term or recurring depressive symptoms that are not necessarily disabling but keeps a person from functioning normally and interferes with social interactions and enjoyment of life. Research has found that this type of depression often results from unconscious negative thinking. A variation of dysthymia is double depression which a person with chronic, low-grade depression periodically experiences major depressive episodes, then returns to their normal, mildly depressive state.
Some people become more depressive in the winter months when the days are shorter.
There is usually less activity and the days are darker. This type of disorder is known as SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder. Women are more likely to suffer from this disorder than men. People who suffer this type of depression in the winter months lose heir energy, have anxiety attacks, gain weight, eat the wrong types of food, sleep to much, and have little or no sex drive. During this time of year suicide seems to be higher.