Depression is No Laughing Matter

November 9th, 2008 Posted in Anxiety and Depression

How to Cope With Depression

Medical professionals recognize the real mental problem of depression.  It’s often a matter of years, or at least months, to control or cure it.  Every year, millions of Americans feel the symptoms of depression.  Only about a third of them will seek treatment, and that makes it worse.  Many Americans don’t want to be considered crazy, so because depression is considered a mental affliction they avoid diagnosis.  They would rather deal with the problem on their own than risk being stereotyped should they seek assistance.  Depression is more common- place than you might think and it will not go away on its own. 

Why do people get depression?  The answer can get very complicated because you have to take many factors into consideration.  The list is quite long. Here are a few of the parts of depression.  Many medical professionals believe that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain.  This may be the case, but what causes that imbalance?  Generally the causes are internal – biological issues, genetic disposition, mental problems – but there are external causes as well.  There are those inflicted that never really determine what spurned their depression.  If diagnosis of another serious medical condition happens, sometimes people become depressed.

The loss of a loved one or treasured possession can have a tremendous impact resulting in depression. Some depression is brought on after years of physical, emotional or sexual abuse.  In addition, many cases of depression are given birth by substance abuse, rather it be drugs or alcohol.  People’s mental states are fragile.  If exposed to the wrong pressures, depression can result.  Depression is often passed along in the DNA. A strong correlation between family history of depression and current depression has been found .  There are even some prescribed medications that can bring on depression.  High blood pressure medication can result in depression. 

One of the major causes of depression is stress.  Stress itself is a complex subject with many different causes.  Some of that stress can even be related to positive events in our lives such as promotions, graduation or moving into a new house.  The unknown is often the root cause of this stress, whether it be positive or negative.  Arguments with family members, disputes with business clients can both cause stress.  Some people have a low threshold for stress.  They’re affected by events and activities that to others seem to not be stressful.  Doctors first look for cause when seeking a treatment for depression.  It’s important that those who suffer depression get medical help at once.