Causes
There is no single cause of depression. Rather, it usually results from a combination of factors such as an imbalance of brain chemicals, family history, thoughts or beliefs that increase the risk of depression, and traumatic or stressful life events.
One factor involved in depression is an imbalance of the chemicals that help send messages in the brain. These chemicals in our brain also help regulate our emotions, behavior, and thinking. How we perceive the world and what happens to us can also contribute to depression.
Depression has a genetic component (i.e., family history). While the tendency to be depressed can be genetically inherited, the onset of depression can be provoked by many factors.
Triggers of depression include:
- difficult or traumatic life changes (such as losing a loved one, ending a relationship, losing a job)
- medical conditions such as Parkinson's disease, stroke, lupus, hypothyroidism, chronic pain, and some types of cancer
- use of certain medications, including corticosteroids, anabolic steroids, narcotics, benzodiazepines, progesterone (found in some female hormonal pills), and street drugs such as amphetamines
- alcohol, which has short-term and possibly long-term depressive effects
It is important to recognize that depression is not something we can "get over" on our own, and it is not the result of personal weakness or an inability to cope.