Depression results from an imbalance in the chemical messengers in the brain which the nerve cells use to communicate with each other. Depression is associated with low levels of two of teh chemical messengers, serotonin and noradrenalin.
For some people, low mood is a response to shortening day length. In seasonal affective disorder, depression starts in the autumn and continues until the spring. During summer the person is usually free of any depressive symptoms. This pattern of depressive episodes is associated with carbohydrate craving and weight gain rather than loss. SAD responds to light treatment although sometimes drug treatment with SSRI type of antidepressant is needed. Even depressed people who do not have pure SAD often feel worse during the winter months.
There is no single cause for Depressive disease. In fact, Depressive disease is a result of a combination of many factors. Depressive disease is bio-psycho-social disease and not just psychological as is wrongly believed.
Depressive disease can run in the family. The parents, siblings and children of a depressed person are at a higher risk of developing clinically diagnosable Depressive disease than those persons who do not have a depressed patient in their families.
Like any other medical illness, Depressive disease is a Bio-Psycho-Social disease. In typhoid fever and in jaundice, there are certain outside factors (bacteria or virus). The biological factor in that individual also plays a significant role. If individual has enough resistance, he will not succumb to the illness (typhoid or Jaundice). But if resistance is low, bacteria or virus will have upper hand
producing illness.
Common Depression Causes and Risk Factors
The nature and personality make-up of an individual and the attitudes he displays, predisposes or protects the person from Depressive disease. Some of the attitudes which make the person vulnerable to Depressive disease are:
Depressive disease is often triggered off by stressful events in life. The major precipitating social factors for Depressive diseases are :
- Any loss i.e., loss by death of a close one, loss of prestige, failure in business or examination.
- Occurrence of negative emotionally stressful events and factors.
- Sudden death of family members or friend or serious illness of the self or family members to whom the patient is closely attached.
- Quarrel with important person.
- Children not coming up to expectations either in education or in occupation.
- Sometimes positive events, like promotion in job.