According to Mental Health America (MHA), "depression is a treatable medical illness that can occur in any woman, at any time and for various reasons regardless of age, race or income." Depression is more commonly experienced among women than men, with 12 million females suffering from the illness every year in America. MHA identifies several contributing factors for depression in women including childbirth, infertility, stress from work and family, and sexual abuse.
Feelings of Despair
A woman experiencing depression will often feel worthless, helpless and guilty. She may blame herself for circumstances that are out of her control, feel she has nothing to offer to her family, friends and coworkers and feel there is no way for her to pull herself out of her emotional despair. She may express these feelings both in words and actions, making comments about her own worthlessness or failing to complete tasks and responsibilities that would otherwise be a normal part of her day. She may also keep these emotions to herself, unable to express her despair to others.
Suicidal Tendencies
A woman experiencing depression may think and talk about death more than usual, or she may even begin to contemplate suicide. She may wish for death and think or talk about how her death would relieve her own stress and the stress of those around her, thus viewing death as an escape from the overwhelming reality of her life. This type of tendency should be taken seriously once expressed and addressed by a doctor or licensed mental health professional immediately.
Sleep Abnormalities
A woman experiencing depression may either find it harder to sleep at night or may not be able to get herself out of bed. She may stay up at night worrying about her life's circumstances or her own feelings of inadequacy, or she may not be able or even want to rouse herself out of bed to face her normal daily responsibilities.
Physical Changes
A woman experiencing depression may find that she has more or less of an appetite than usual and either rapidly gain or lose weight. Some women may try to mask their depressed feelings by binging on food, while others may not be able to stomach the idea of eating in combination with the extreme emotional and physical disturbances they are experiencing.
Fatigue
A woman experiencing depression may feel unusually fatigued throughout the day, finding it difficult to accomplish daily tasks and concentrate on daily activities that she would otherwise be able to handle. She may find herself sleeping during the day or feeling that it is much later in the evening than it is. She may begin canceling normal obligations or simply not showing up because she cannot handle the required energy output in order to participate.
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