Causes of Depression



What are Causes of Depression

The most important thing to find out about certain illness, disease, malady, or disorder is what caused it. Just the same, the most important question regarding clinical depression is: "What are the causes of depression?"

As you probably know the answers to important questions are not always easy and strait forward.

However, that should not discourage you but challenge you to work very hard on finding the answer which is essential to your improvement.

Sometimes you can do it by yourself; sometimes you would need help from someone else.

The important thing to know is that no one can do it for you. To find out what are the causes of depression, yours or your beloved ones, a help from psychologist, or some other professional, is needed.

This article will explain and talk about causes of depression. Its purpose is not to tell you what caused your depression, but to educate you about general causes of depression. To find out what triggered your depression you should talk to a professional.

Causes of depression:

Genetic makeup:

For some types of depression it can be said they run in family. For example bipolar depression is very likely to run in family because there are many cases that confirm this hypothesis. This also could be the case with severe major depression however it is less probable than bipolar depression.

Important thing to know is that even though people whose blood relatives have had depression are more vulnerable to depression it does not mean that everyone who has a relative with depression is going to develop it.

Biology/Chemistry:

Our brain is made out of nerve cells. Those nerve cells are not physically connected. Between each nerve cells there is a gap called the synapse. Through this gap (the synapse) brain cells communicate by the chemicals called neurotransmitters which are produced and released by neurons.

There are many neurotransmitters however the most relevant for depression are serotonin, epinephrine and dopamine. Any problem including: producing, transporting, releasing or fusing could cause depression.

Medications:

Some medications can have side effects which can resemble symptoms of depression. Therefore if you suspect you are depressed first thing you should do, if you are taking medications, is to talk to your physician.

Physical condition:

People who get chronically ill with some serious disease such as cancer, heart disease or HIV are much more vulnerable to depression than healthy individuals.

Stress

If you are not taking good care of yourself depression could be the outcome of that mistreatment. For example, if you are not eating healthy, exercising, working normal ours, having a social life and doing something pleasurable for yourself each week you could end up being depressed.

You know very well, without me saying, that if you are overweight or working extensive ours or isolated from people you are not happy about it. In another wards you are very stressed about it.

Getting married, changing profession or work place, moving to another city or country, changing school, being pregnant, becoming a parent or some other events alike do cause stress. Being stressed does not mean being depressed however stress is a precondition for depression.

Trauma

Loss of a beloved one, divorce, brake up of a relationship, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, major changes in your life and other traumas alike can cause depression. Any of these traumas can be very difficult to cope with and could cause many other problems in ones life. To overcome trauma three tings are essential: accepting and addressing the trauma, good professional help and time.

Alcohol and drug abuse:

Alcohol and drug abuse can cause, worsen and/or prolong depression.

Every group of causes of depression stated above are precondition for depression however that does not mean that if you are stressed or traumatized you will suffer from a depressive disorder.

Nobody knows for sure why a certain person gets depressed and other doesn’t even though they both are going through the same trauma. Sometimes people get depressed for no apparent reason. Everything in their life seems to be alright, they had normal childhood, nobody in their family suffered from depression and yet they are depressed.

Usually there is not only one cause of depression. Causes of depression "collaborate", can overlap and masque one another. Some stressful event can trigger your depression but that does not mean that that event is a cause of your depression. Usually the true causes of depression are deeper and sometimes well hidden.

In conclusion, there are varieties of causes of depression. If you suffer from a depressive disorder your depression is most probably caused not by one, but by few causes of depression. It is important to work with your therapist and find out those causes because once you know the cause of an illness you are half way to being cured.








AddThis Social Bookmark Button





Go from Causes of Depression back to Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression Home


What is Depression / Alcohol and Depression Anti Depression / Bipolar Disorder / Depression Test / Depression Treatment / Symptoms of Depression / Teen Depression