How Do You Get Depressed|Cause of Depression.
The cause of depression is not known but inferences are drawn and it appears that more than one factors are involved in causing depression. There are different types of depression and each has its own causes and risk factors.
Many researchers are of the opinion that depression results from certain chemical changes in the brain which could be due to genetic factors or a chain of stressful events or social factors or a combination of all.
These include your lifestyle habits, stress threshold and social relationships. Anyone can develop depression including kids as explained in statistics for depression.
How Do You Get Depression|What Causes Depression.
Biological Changes.
Certain physical changes do occur in the brain which lead to depression but what those changes are is still not known. But certain parts of the brain do not function as they should. Brain imaging studies such as MRI have shown that the appearance of the brain of a person with depression looks different than the normal brain appearance. But the reason for depression and these changes still lies undetected.
Brain Chemicals – Neurotransmitters.
Neurotransmitters are naturally occurring chemicals in the brain, such as dopamine, serotonin or norepinephrine, and which are responsible for the mood sentiment. These are the chemicals which the brain cells or the nerve cells use to communicate. In depression, changes in the levels of these chemicals are seen and are believed to have a direct bearing on depression.
Genetics.
Research indicates that if you have a family history showing depression in your biological family members, chances of you developing depression are high. However, the genes responsible for this cause of depression are yet to be identified.
The fact remains that those with depression have a different genetic makeup, but not all people with this genetic makeup develop depression leading to the belief that a combination of factors are responsible for this disease. However, depression is also seen to occur in people without any family history.
Hormones.
Certain factors cause an imbalance in the body’s hormones which can trigger depression. Such hormonal imbalances are seen in thyroid diseases, menopause, postpartum period and a number of other disorders.
Stressful Events.
Some events can be too great to bear and can cause depression, such as
- a death of a loved one or
- news of a fatal disease such as cancer, heart disease or AIDS in you or a loved one
- a financial loss or crisis,
- a divorce,
- a job loss,
- social loneliness or lack of social support as seen in the elderly.
Childhood Factors.
Certain traumatic events which have occurred in early childhood can make you more susceptible to depression. Such events may be loss of a parent in early childhood, experience of physical or sexual abuse and lack of attention.
Gender.
As explained in statistics, women are twice more likely to have depression than men. This could possibly be due to the hormonal changes which are seen in women during different periods of life such as during onset of puberty, pregnancy and menopause.
Social Factors.
People belonging to the minority group are at a greater risk of developing depression due to being discriminated against. Immigrants too feel isolated due to language barrier.
Certain Diseases and Disorders.
Certain health conditions such as hypogonadism in men can lead to depression. Certain chronic diseases too are reasons for depression. Such diseases are diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, arthritis, HIV/AIDS, lupus, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis and more.
Certain Medications.
Certain drugs prescribed for high blood pressure, sleeping pills, steroids, oral contraceptives, drugs prescribed for high cholesterol and acne are some examples of medications that can make you depressed.
Lifestyle Habits.
Alcohol, smoking and nicotine and some other illicit drugs abuse can cause depression.
Summary:
There are different reasons explained for for how you get depressed. The main cause of depression is the change in the naturally occurring chemicals in the brain. Some depression risk factors too are explained which contribute to cause depression.
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