Stimulation comes in on all sensory channels: sights, sounds, smells, vibrations, touch. HSP’s typically respond strongly and quickly reach their natural level of tolerance in loud, bright or chaotic environments. Managing this kind of overstimulation could be treated as a “technical problem” of reducing environmental intensity or leaving it when possible. Five kinds of over-stimulation can contribute to depression.

Why is depression so daunting to some? Why is it so difficult for some to lift themselves out of the mental state? Control – we’ve lost control over the environment, the situation and ourselves.

Depression and anxiety are sometimes hard to tell apart. While they may seem like completely different conditions, chronic depression can hide anxiety, while people who suffer from general feelings of anxiety may actually be experiencing a symptom of depression. Further, when people begin treatment for depression, the new focus on underlying issues sometimes causes anxiety symptoms, such as frequent heart palpitations, agitation and feelings of nervousness.

Depression is not like the flu, where a certain virus is the cause. There are a lot of factors that appear to contribute to depression, and perhaps a group of factors is responsible for causing depression when they come together in a certain way. In the end, knowing what causes depression may not be as important as knowing how to treat it.

By nochnoch / Enoch Li -- Never thought I had any creativity. I equated creativity with artists, innovators, entrepreneurs, designers, fashion… I was none of that - until I sunk into depression last year. And over the course of a few months, I rediscovered my creativity, which spurred my recovery. I had always classified myself as “not creative” till I met my fiancé...But it was a limiting belief that I was not creative myself.

It is extremely common for individuals who suffer from depression to also have some form of an anxiety disorder. It is also very common for individuals who have an anxiety disorder to develop depression. When following the proper medical treatment plan, along with monitoring diet and nutrition as well as learning relaxation and exercising techniques, it is possible for individuals who suffer from the combination of these disorders to recover and live full and productive lives. [Photo: Therese J. Borchard, author of "Beyond Blue."]

Demanding perfection in all areas of your life, from work to home and everywhere in between, may seem like a noble deed -- even one that perhaps we should all strive for. But perfectionism is actually responsible for making many people miserable.

Challenge your negative thinking with positive statements and realistic thinking. When encountering thoughts that make you feel fearful or depressed, challenge those thoughts by asking yourself questions that will maintain objectivity and common sense.

"Being happy is something you have to learn," says Harrison Ford. Each of us can learn something from his experiences of triumphing over negative thoughts and turning his life around. He grew up a shy kid, continually bullied at school for not 'fitting in'. He studied English in college, and hated it. It was soon afterwards that he started showing symptoms of depression..

The third major thing that we found was that depression and irritability are related:  21% of the men said that they were depressed often or almost always – high  levels of depression, and that we’re actually seeing this irritability and anger rather than  being an indication that they’re just crotchety old men, or even irritable old men, is that there’s often, this is the way that men experience depression.