What Causes Depression?
If you or your loved one live with depression, you have probably wondered what caused it. In certain cases, there is no one answer. Depression can be brought about by a variety of factors and unfortunately, sometimes there is nothing you can do to prevent it.
Depression is not weakness or simply sadness, it goes much deeper than that. Although depression is a multifaceted mental health condition, we do know what some of the main causes are. In order to learn more about some of the root causes, keep reading.
Symptoms of depression
Depression is unique to each individual that has it. Everyone’s symptoms are a bit different; there is no one set manifestation of depression. However, most of the common symptoms of depression include:
Feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness
Suicidal thoughts or tendencies
Lack of energy or chronic exhaustion
Eating too much or too little
Cognitive complications, such as difficulty making decisions
Unexplainable physical pain, specifically gastrointestinal or back pain
When left untreated, these symptoms will grow to be noticeable enough to affect your everyday life. If you have noticed yourself experiencing any of these symptoms, consider reaching out to a doctor to discuss it further.
Genetics and brain chemistry
Depression is a chemical imbalance in the brain. Most frustratingly, depression can be caused simply by your brain chemistry or genetics. Although scientists do not know the root cause of depression, they do know it can usually be passed down by your biological parents.
On a genetic level, depression is thought to be passed down through a series of small genes rather than one big genetic change. This means that it is more difficult to pinpoint the exact gene or cause of genetic depression.
Difficult transitions or changes
Changes can be good, but they can also be scary. Starting a new job or going off to college are both incredibly exciting transitions, but they also stir feelings of self-doubt and anxiety. These feelings of the unknown can cause a depressive episode.
Another life change that can cause depression is the loss of a loved one. Grief and depression caused by loss are normal and unavoidable facts of life. The best we can do in situations like this is to prepare for it and know that our feelings are normal.
Traumatic life experiences
Suffering from abuse or having post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are other causes of depression. Physical or sexual abuse can cause you to feel completely worthless and doubt your right to exist.
Receiving emotional abuse can also cause you to develop depression. Your emotional abuser might even tell you that you are not worthy of living or other emotionally abusive statements. Even if you do not develop depression straight away after abuse, it does make you more vulnerable to having a depressive episode at some point in your life.
Chronic illness or pain
Living with a chronic illness or pain will likely force you to change your lifestyle. This can be incredibly hard for many people to adapt to and you may fall into a depressive episode. Chronic pain or illness and depression also may amplify one another. For example, your pain may flare up when you are going through a particularly bad depressive episode or vice versa.
Depression is not something you have to deal with alone. If you are suffering from depression, seeking therapy is a great idea. A trained mental health professional will help you to manage your symptoms and overcome your depression. Please reach out today to get in contact with my office to get started down the path toward a happier, healthier you through depression treatment.
