In the past, it was believed that depression（抑郁症) was more prevalent among the poorer a

In the past, it was believed that depression(抑郁症) was more prevalent among the poorer and less educated people, but that is not the case. The truth is, depression can afflict people from all walks of life, and often it hits the most ambitious, creative and conscientious. It is wrong to think that people on the corporate position of the social ladder are not prone(易于......的) to this disease. In fact, executives and professionals who are burdened with mounting pressures in their work may obsessed with all these pressures and become depressed. The suicide of Vincent Foster, a noted American lawyer and White House official is a case in point. Despite the honor of his position, which many people thought admirable, he felt overburdened with pressures and decided to take the easy way out.

Studies show that people born later in this century have experienced much more depression than those born earlier. In fact the rate of depression over the last two generations has increased tenfold. Experts theorize that it could be due to the fact that the younger generations have higher expectations from life and are therefore more likely to suffer from failure, disappointment and hence, depression.

Depression is easily recognizable. The depressed person feels sad or down in the dumps, and loses interest in even the most pleasurable activities. Moreover, he suffers from either significant gain or loss of weight, sleeplessness or over sleeping, sluggish movement and thinking, fatigue, feelings of guilt and worthlessness, impaired concentration and forgetfulness, and in extreme cases, the afflicted person may have suicidal tendencies. It is often believed that depression runs in the family, but this is not conclusively so, since there are eases where depressed persons do not have a history of depression in their families. Depression is often work-related although at times it has its roots in family relations.

People who suffer from depression need not stay in the closet, since it is not a sin or a shame to be depressed. A prompt visit to a psychologist means prompt treatment and hence prompt recovery. Experts guarantee that depression is easily treatable, and in nip-in-the-bud eases, the patient fully recovers in a few days, thanks to the variety of effective treatment available.

According to the author, depression ______.

A．affects the poor and poor educated people more than the rich and successful ones

B．seldom attacks executives

C．is not limited to any particular class of people

D．is caused by one's ambition