Depression and menopause often go hand-in-hand, though it is a myth to believe that depression is "normal" during menopause. Women who suffer from clinical depression - during menopause or at any time in their life - should give depression its due attention.

If you feel "down" for more than a few weeks or experience difficulty functioning in daily life, you may suffer from clinical depression. Yet, clinical depression often goes untreated during menopause because menopause and clinical depression share some similar symptoms.

You might cry often for no apparent reason. You may feel anxious, excessively worried or feel separated from the rest of the world. You may have trouble sleeping. Your brain may seem foggy and you might have trouble making simple decisions. You may feel that your life is somewhat askew, dreary and lackluster - like a grey cloud persistently hangs over you. Do these symptoms sound familiar?

The symptoms of clinical depression include:

• A persistent sadness, anxiousness or "empty" mood that lasts every day for two or more weeks.
• Fatigue or lack of energy.
• Sleeping too much or too little.
• Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide.
• Changes in appetite and weight.
• Loss of interest or pleasure in activities.
• Restlessness or irritability.
• Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.
• Feelings of guilt, hopelessness or worthlessness.

There are many types of depression and if you experience the symptoms of clinical depression, you are not alone. More than 19 million suffer from clinical depression every year.

You are also in good company. Marlon Brando and Truman Capote to Barbara Bush and Winston Churchill - and millions of famous and regular folks in between - have suffered from depression.

Clinical depression is not a sign of weakness and can happen to even the most determined people. In fact, one in four women will suffer depression at some point in their life. Depression is not something to be ashamed of and is not a character flaw but it is something that requires help.

What is the cause of depression? Depression is a biological illness believed to be caused by changes in brain chemistry. Physical or emotional stress can trigger the biological changes that occur in depression and the menopause years are full of stresses.

Hormonal changes can trigger such changes in brain chemistry, especially in women who are already prone to depression. Estrogen interacts with chemicals in the brain that can affect mood and less estrogen can increase the risk of depression.

Emotionally, the "empty nest syndrome" and other aspects of middle age can lead to feelings of loss and sadness. Hot flashes and insomnia can also cause emotional stress.

Your primary care physician may prescribe medication for depression to help ease the symptoms of clinical depression however these have many adverse side effects. Bothersome side effects include nervousness, insomnia, restlessness, diarrhea, and sexual problems. There are also serious side effects like violent behavior and potentially fatal side effects to these medications like suicidal tendencies.

Deprex is a scientifically advanced and highly effective complex of natural antidepressants. The Deprex formula is designed to safely provide nutritional support for moderate to severe clinical depression and possible mood imbalances.

Unlike prescriptive antidepressant medications, Deprex is an all-natural alternative that provides the necessary dietary precursors to complement the body's ability to potentiate the production of serotonin, which plays an important part in mood regulation. Deprex also increases serotonin and norepinephrine activity while reducing negative cortisol secretion - all without adverse side effects.

Deprex addresses the emotional issues that can prompt clinical depression. Using a natural progesterone cream or estrogen lotion will restore hormonal balance to address the physical issue of clinical depression during menopause.

For depression relating to menopause, you will want to use Deprex as well as a  natural progesterone cream like Preserve.