Depression is a very complex mental health state that affects thousands of people in the United States every year. As the definition for depression gets more complex, more people seem to acquire it. Unfortunately, women are more prone to depression. The main targets of this mental illness are young women ages twelve to twenty four (Pearse). Young girls in this era have become more prone to depression and all of its unkind symptoms. What is truly interesting is why women are more susceptible to depression than men, and how should society help them when they are struck with depression. The hardest part about diagnosing depression is that the definition of depression is constantly changing. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is published by the American Psychiatric Association and provides a common language and standard criteria for the classification of mental disorders, such as depression. It is used in the United States by researchers, psychiatric drug regulation agencies, health insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, and policy makers. According to the DSM, “The general definition of depression is a psychological disorder that affects a person's mood changes, physical functions and social interactions” (American). More people each year have been diagnosed for depression since you only need to have one or two of the many symptoms to be diagnosed with it (American). Dr. Lorr, who has a PhD in psychiatry, has his own ideas and symptoms about depression, which he states in one of his articles published in the Archives of General Psychiatry. According to Dr. Lorr: "The primary clinical symptoms are said to be a sad, despairing mood; decrease of mental productivity and reduction of drive; and retardation or agitation in motor behavior. The secondary symptoms are said to include somatic preoccupation, feelings of depersonalization and suicidal ruminations. Sleep disturbances, anorexia, and weight loss are also associated with depressive states" (Lorr). From Dr. Lorr’s statement, one can conclude that the symptoms for depression are widespread. Different symptoms may be caused by different problems. Some depressed people have all the symptoms, and some depressed people may only have a few. Depression is a natural part of life for both men and women, but what most psychologists are interested in is why it affects women more. No one can go through life and never experience anxiety, stress, or sadness. Unfortunately, teenagers and young adults, ages twelve to twenty four, are more prone to depression than other age groups (Pearse). But more specifically, adolescent females are twice as likely to become depressed when compared to their male peers (Pearse). Some research has come to the conclusion that self-defeating beliefs fuel the cycle of depression. Women are more prone to be hard on themselves, which is natural to feel when society has high expectations for them. Also, young girls are more likely to be self-conscious about the way they look, and this can continue to fuel this cycle (Pearse). Women are more likely to be abused, made to feel helpless, and feel vulnerable (Myers). They also have more self-doubt about themselves because they constantly have to live up to a standard that magazines, models, and the world itself has set for them(Pearse). They are expected to be skinny, have