At a recent trip to the beach, I had a great discussion with a fellow beachcomber about the positive effects of the ocean on our sense of well-being. We each described how, in almost an instant, our mood seemed to improve, our stresses diminished and long, deep breaths are easier to come by, just by walking along the beach.

I was first diagnosed with major depression twenty-five years ago. Through a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy, the proper meds and my sense of humor, I have been hospital-free for the past seventeen years. I am stable to the point where I was able to write a book about a year's worth of experiences navigating through the self-help industry. It took five years, but my comic memoir Hide & Seek: How I Laughed at Depression, Conquered My Fears and Found Happiness is being published this month by Kunati Books.

There are many different causes of depression. For some people it is easy to figure out what caused the person to fall into a depression, while for others there does not appear to be a specific cause. There is still much that is not understood about the causes and reasons for depression. There are some cases where the person appears to be suffering a chemical imbalance in the brain, while others only seem to have the depression because it appears to be genetic when their family history is viewed.

In most cases, a person who appears to suffer from a type of depression will often have a reason for it. In other words, the depression has been brought on or encouraged by an event, or something has happened to that individual, either in their youth or adulthood, that they have not been able to deal with. There are, however, cases where the individual does not seem to have a reason for their depression. They show all the symptoms of depression, but there just not seems to be any apparent cause for it. This is when the patient would probably be diagnosed with endogenous depression.

It’s so easy to fall off our exercise routine. Life, kids, work, and just about everything else can get in the way and most of us allow it to happen. But, did you know that withdrawal from regular moderate physical activity for even two weeks can contribute to feelings of depression and fatigue? According to a study done by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), this is the case.

What is atypical depression?

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There are many different causes of depression, including poor physical health, the environment in which a person lives, lack of a social life, low confidence, and the list continues. Everyone is unique, as are the different types of depression. In fact, there are some people who suffer depression because of genes they have inherited from one or both of their parents, some who suffer it because of a chemical imbalance and others who have depression because they focus too much on the negative.

No parent wants to hear or believe that their teenage son or daughter is depressed, but it happens. It could be that the teen is having difficulty in dealing with the loss of a family member or close friend, are having difficulty with other students at school or are suffering from stresses from home, school and/or work. Ignoring the problem will not help it go away. Parents who believe their child might be depressed should find help for their teenage son or daughter, instead of ignoring the problem and hoping that it will go away.

Most everyone recognizes that moodiness is a normal part of being a teenager, whether parents like to accept it or not. Teenagers are at a time in their life when they are going through numerous changes in both the mind and the body. They are in the transition from child to adult, which means hormonal imbalances and changes that can cause a change in a teen’s mood. It is also a time in their life when they are starting to assert their independence, which can cause some friction with the parents, but this is also seen as a normal part of the stage.