Depression
Many people think of depression as feelings of sadness or grief. While sadness is a symptom of depression, most depression also involves self-defeating thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that limit our capacity for joy, impair our ability to be
responsible, and isolate us from others.
Depression varies in intensity as well. Clinical depression ranges from the mild, which has only a minimal impact on a person’s life, to the severe, resulting in sleep loss, appetite changes, fatigue, feelings of gloom, and thoughts or fantasies of suicide.
Most people with depression never seek help even though the majority will respond well to treatment. Treating depression is especially important because it affects you, your family, and your work. Some people with depression try to harm themselves in the mistaken belief that how they are feeling today will never change. Depression is a treatable illness.
Causes of Depression
Depression has no single cause; often, it results from a combination of things. You may have no idea why depression has struck you. Whatever its cause, depression is not just a state of mind. It is related to physical changes in the brain, and connected to a chemical imbalance.
Some of the more common factors involved in depression are:
Family history. Genetics play an important part in depression. It can run in families for generations.
Trauma and stress. Issues such as financial problems, the breakup of a relationship, or the death of a loved one can bring on depression. You can become depressed after changes in your life, like starting a new job, graduating from school, or getting married.
Pessimistic personality. People who have low self-esteem and a negative outlook are at higher risk of becoming depressed. These traits may actually be caused by low-level depression (called dysthymia).
Physical conditions. Serious medical conditions like heart disease, cancer, and HIV can contribute to depression, partly because of the physical weakness and stress they bring on. Depression can make medical conditions worse, since it weakens the immune system and can make pain more difficult to bear. In some cases, depression can be caused by medications used to treat medical conditions.
Other psychological disorders such as anxiety disorders, eating disorders, schizophrenia, and especially chemical dependency often appear along with depression.