Endogenous depression

Endogenous depression is a mood disorder that affects some people from birth and is believed to be a genetic condition. A sufferer is prone to become depressed on the advent of traumatic events, exhaustion or when under high levels of stress and may not be aware of the disorder until confronted by symptoms of depression for the first time.

Depressive episodes can occur at any age, but despite the predisposition may never become a serious problem. The severity of depression resulting from a diagnosis can vary greatly, from mild to severe. Worsening of a persons mood may not be triggered by any external element. It is hard to determine its endogenous origin. It is often the case that a sufferer first confronted with life events that might trigger depressive condition and when no particular source of the mood disorder is found, the depression is considered endogenous.

The treatment for endogenous depression is fundamentally identical to the treatment of non-endogenous depression. Although psychotherapy is not usually prescribed, knowledge of techniques to deal with stress and anxiety may be beneficial to the patient.