DepressionInfos.com

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Research shows that depression runs in families and that some people inherit genes that make it more likely for them to get depressed. Not everyone who has the genetic makeup for depression gets depressed, though. And many people who have no family history of depression have the condition. So although genes are one factor, they aren’t the single cause of depression.

The effect of maternal-fetal stress on depression is currently an exciting area of research. It seems that maternal stress during pregnancy can increase the chance that the child will be prone to depression as an adult, particularly if there is a genetic vulnerability. It is thought that the mother’s circulating stress hormones can influence the development of the fetus’ brain during pregnancy. This altered fetal brain development occurs in ways that predispose the child to the risk of depression as an adult. Further research is still necessary to clarify how this happens.

Symptoms of Depression

A bleak outlook—nothing will ever get better and there’s nothing you can do to improve your situation.

You may have physical aches and pains which appear to have no physical cause, such as back pain.

Strong feelings of worthlessness or guilt. Harsh criticism of perceived faults and mistakes.

Problems sleeping, especially in the early morning, or wanting to sleep all of the time

You spend a lot of time thinking about what has gone wrong, what will go wrong or what is wrong about yourself as a person. You may also feel guilty sometimes about being critical of others (or even thinking critically about them).

Feeling sad or “down” for a few days is not the same as exhibiting symptoms of depression. A clinical case of depression symptoms as outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental.

Having a poor appetite, no interest in food and losing weight (though some people overeat and put on weight – ‘comfort eating’).

Thinking about suicide – this is very common. If you feel this way, talk to somebody about it. If you think somebody else might be thinking this way, ask them about it – IT WILL NOT MAKE THEM MORE LIKELY TO COMMIT SUICIDE.

Significant changes in weight when not attempting to gain or lose (a gain or loss of 5% or more in a month) may be indicative of depression. In children, this may also present as a failure to make expected weight gains.

Causes of Depression

Biochemical: Some evidence from high-tech imaging studies indicates that people with depression have physical changes in their brains. The significance of these changes is still uncertain but may eventually help pinpoint causes. The naturally occurring brain chemicals called neurotransmitters, which are linked to mood, also may play a role in depression. Hormonal imbalances also could be a culprit.

Depression can be linked to events in your life, such as the death of someone you love, a divorce or job loss. Taking certain medicines, abusing drugs or alcohol, or having other illnesses can also lead to depression. Depression isn’t caused by personal weakness, laziness or lack of willpower.

Certain environmental situations, such as stress or breakup of important attachments, also may precipitate depression, especially in vulnerable persons.

Genes. Some studies show that depression is more common in people whose biological family members also have the condition. Researchers are trying to find genes that may be involved in causing depression.

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Don’t ask your doctor as he may not know much about depression treating strategies. The majority of primary care providers will prescribe anti-depressant medications as the first and only option. While anti-depressant medications are a perfectly valid and sometimes helpful method of treating depression, I would not exactly call them successful as a study three years ago showed that only about 50% of patients could actually get rid of their symptoms with this type of medication. That is not a high success rate.

Before we list the three successful depression treating strategies, we need to understand the complexity of the problem. Most anti depressant medications work by increasing levels of serotonin which is an important brain chemical in determining our mood but it also plays a very important role in our appetite. But there are other causes and mechanisms at work which complicate the picture, such as a deficit in nutrition, a problem with our immune system, a high level of stress hormones. There can also be genetic and environmental factors at work too, not forgetting the psychological and social factors such as exercise, diet and social contacts.

The first depression treating strategy is to look at the lifestyle of the depressed patient. There is now a ton of evidence to show that persons with a range of social contacts are less likely to fall into depression. Regular exercise has been shown over and over again to be beneficial because it produces endorphins which are also known as the ‘happy chemicals’. One study even shows that a sweat breaking activity can be as effective as any anti-depressant if done regularly.

Talk yourself through depression. That is the second of the successful ways of treating depression that I can recommend. Talking could involve counselling and or psychotherapy. But, on a more modest scale, it could involve getting involved in a support group or joining the online forums where you can meet people and talk the whole experience through. It is also important in making social contacts, even if they are only online. The great advantage is that by talking about depression and learning coping skills, we are much less likely to have a relapse which is a big problem for many patients on depression medicines.

The third depression treating strategy is to look at alternatives to lift our mood. While relaxation, meditation, yoga and special breathing exercises will all help, we will need something else to boost our mood and to help us restore some of the balance in our brains which seems to be a bit skewed. One of the best treatments I know is a homeopathic or a herbal one. There are now studies to show that some herbs (St. John’s Wort, passion flower and gingko biloba) have much fewer side effects and will be just as effective in restoring serenity to a troubled mind.

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