What Causes Depression?
Many people throughout the world are struggling with depression. It's one of the most common mental health issues that is prevalent throughout the world. The amount of people who are diagnosed with clinical depression each year is slowly on the rise. Even though mental health topics are becoming less stigmatized, the majority of people suffer silently from it.
Unfortunately, there are misconceptions about what depression is. It's common to hear someone say things like, "I'm so depressed," to describe their feelings of sadness. While depression is feeling sad, it goes far beyond that. Let's first talk about the signs of depression before we dive into what causes it.
What Is Depression?
No two people will experience depression in the same exact way. There are core symptoms that are associated with it, but not every single person will experience all of them. Depression symptoms can be any combination of the following and can range from mild to severe.
The Signs
Feelings of extreme sadness
Loss of interest in activities or hobbies
Changes in sleeping patterns (sleeping too much or not enough)
Fatigue
Eating habit changes (not eating enough or eating too much)
Feeling hopeless
Feelings of guilt or shame
Irritability
Stomach aches
Headaches
Difficulty making decisions
Procrastination
Muscle tension with no known cause
Thoughts of self-harm or suicide
How It's Diagnosed
To be diagnosed with clinical depression, certain criteria must be met. These criteria include:
Symptoms must have been present for two weeks or more.
Someone must have experienced at least five or more symptoms during that time period.
To help diagnose someone with depression, a healthcare provider, such as a primary physician, will review the patient's complete history and rule out other possible causes of their symptoms.
Causes of Depression
In a lot of cases, there is no singular cause that can lead to depression. It is often a combination. One thing to remember is that regardless of what causes depression to occur, it is never the person's fault.
Brain Chemistry
Depression symptoms often begin due to a chemical imbalance in the brain. Key hormones such as cortisol, serotonin, and dopamine become imbalanced, causing a person's mental health to fluctuate.
Additionally, genetics is thought to play a role in depression as well. While there is no single gene that causes depression, it is thought that multiple smaller genes are passed down, which increases the chances of depression occurring.
Life Events
Change can be good, but unfortunately, that isn't always true. Job losses, deaths, and major life changes can cause someone to feel imbalanced. Life has an unfortunate way of wearing us thin until we feel like every day is a battle. Worsening this is that the uncertainty of the future with everything going on can make us question everything.
Other Mental Health Disorders
As if one mental health concern wasn't enough, sadly, many people with depression will likely also experience anxiety or even PTSD symptoms. Remember that one of the causes of depression is the result of chemical imbalances in the brain. When this occurs, it increases the chances of someone experiencing other symptoms.
Chronic Pain or Illness
Living with chronic pain is extremely difficult. Often, your life is majorly impacted by your body's capability to keep up with things. This often results in major lifestyle changes that can cause someone to feel down about themselves. After all, they just want to feel "normal" and be able to do things they once did.
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If you or someone you know is suffering from depression, please know that there is support out there for you. You don't have to struggle through this alone. Depression therapy is a safe space for you to talk about your problems and get the help you deserve. Reach out when you are ready.
