Can you tell me what causes depression?

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   jagged81posted 13 years ago

   Can you tell me what causes depression?

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   michaelmalyonposted 13 years ago

   Depression occurs due to any combination of four things in your life. Only three of these are outside of your control. They are your environment, your back ground or bad life experiences, and family hystory of depression or the pressence of the gene. Research has proved that with sufficient exercise, a good diet, enough sleep, moderation, taking in enough water, getting enough sunlight, and a good relationship with God, depression can be overcome, despite the presence of the other three factors.
   
   Yes, as the medical world likes to justly point out, it is a chemical inballance. And i'm not saying you don't need medical attention. This disease can drive you to suicide. I've had depression. But the chemical make up of your body is a direct result of your lifestyle. Please inbox me if you want more information

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   vrbmftposted 13 years ago

   Perhaps the question is confusing because most of us think that cause means a logical A to B connection, and the fact is there probably is!  However, we tend to see ourselves as tough people and so we cannot believe that a particular A to B event could possibly cause so much distress. 
   
   Some folks want to know if depression is a chemical imbalance.  Any and every chanage in the brain's chemistry beyond homeostasis is a chemical imbalance.  A belly laugh could be a chemical imbalance.
   
   I suggest a person list every depressing thing that has ever happened to them.  Remember, there is a place in the brain, called the amygdala.  It processes and stores intense emotional experiences from seven months in utero, but we do not have conscious access to our amygdala.  So losing your father at age two could "cause" chronic depression unless we consciously take the time to grieve his death which we can do even years later.  Yes at age two, the loss of his voice, his smell, his touch will be devastating, you just won't know it, but your amygdala will and will continue to send those loss messages to your muscles..
   
   In general, loss is the cause of depression.  So make a list of every loss in your life and ask people who know you if you have left anything out.  Remember too, depression is necessary to grieve losses.  Just don't want to get stuck there.
   
   Getting beyond the intense emotional experience requires left and right hemispheric integration in the brain of both the emotions and the story line of the experience.
   
   So talking, journaling, crying, screaming, exercising, getting a massage, a little EMDR therapy, are all ways to bring about left right hemispheric integration.  I know there are many hubs on this topic, so check them out as well.

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   Akanksha Lalposted 13 years ago

   I agree with michaelmalyon. Genes as well as family background add to the tendency of depression. It varies from person to person.
   Past impressions contribute a lot to this tendency and one need not feel guilty about being depressed. Though, you can get out of it, if you decide to.
   Physical activity is an instant cure for depression. Also doing something creative, and doing something for others helps in curing depression.

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   J D Murrahposted 13 years ago

   There are many causes of what we term 'depression'. It would be better to call it a depressed mood. Some of the causes include:
   
   1. Chemical imbalances
   
   2. Traumatic experiences
   
   3. Genetic predisposition
   
   4. Substance Abuse
   
   5. Spiritual-based issues
   
   6. Lack of stimulation
   
   7. Poor diet and self-care
   
   8. Toxic chemicals
   
   9. Organic health problems
   
   Some depressed moods are temporary while others are more long-lasting. The terms acute and chronic are often used when describing these moods. As with many disorders, questions arise as to which came first, the depressed mood or the chemical imbalance? Since depressed moods are often found with so many disorders, they have many possible causes.Knowing the cause is often the key to knowing how to remedy the depressed mood.

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   EnergyAdvisorposted 13 years ago

   In my opinion a depression is caused by yourself. I don't exactly agree on what michaelmalyon is saying "Depression occurs due to any combination of four things in your life. Only three of these are outside of your control. They are your environment, your back ground or bad life experiences, and family history of depression or the presence of the gene." This means that we do not take responsibility for those factors or for our actions. It's like when somebody offends you. It's your own decision on how to react to that. You can choose to feel offended or you choose not to. It's really the same with depressions. I once read a quote "we either make ourselves happy or miserable, the amount of work is the same."
   But I totally agree on the second part about exercise, drinking enough water, sunlight.
   I've written a Hub with all kinds of quotes http://hubpages.com/hub/Spiritual-Life-Enhancing-Quotes , take a look at it and just think about them for a while.

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   Always Greenerposted 13 years ago

   No one knows exactly what *causes* depression; this is a well-documented fact with an abundance of supporting evidence. 
   
   What *exacerbates* depression is another matter.

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