What really causes clinical depression? If one has been diagnosed with major depression, he or she might wonder why some people get depressed, whereas others don’t. Depression is a complicated disease. What actually causes it is unknown, but it can develop for a variety of reasons. It may be experienced during a serious medical illness. Life changes such as the death of a loved one or a move may trigger it. Others may have a family history of depression. Feelings of being overwhelmed, loneliness and sadness are common among those who experience it.
Primary risk factors
Several factors may escalate the chances of depression, including the ones listed below:
- Certain medications can increase the risk of depression
- Personal conflicts or disputes with family members or friends
- Any form of past abuse, physical, emotional, and sexual, can increase the risk of developing clinical depression
- Death or loss of a loved one may cause grief or sadness, which may raise the risk of developing depression
- Genetics or a family history may increase the risk. It is probable that there are many different genes which contribute to the disease risk.
- Major events such as marriage, graduation or a new job can result in depression. Others such as getting divorced, losing a job or income and retiring can cause it.
- Depression in some cases may co-exist with a major illness or be caused by another medical condition
- Social isolation due to other mental conditions or being excluded or removed from a social or family group can lead to the risk of developing clinical depression
- About 30% of people with substance abuse problems also experience major or clinical depression
Genetics
It is a known fact that depression can sometimes run in families. This means there is a partial genetic link to depression. Siblings, parents, and children of people with depression are more likely to suffer from depression than others. The various types of depression that run in families are probably caused due to multiple genes interacting with each other in unique ways. Although there is evidence of a family link to depression, it is doubtful that there is a single gene responsible. Rather, there are many genes that each add small effects toward depression.
Chronic pain
When pain lasts for weeks to months, it is known as being “chronic.” This pain can hurt, disrupt your sleep, hamper your ability to be active and exercise, affect your productivity at work, and your relationships. It may leave you feeling isolated and depressed. There is assistance available for chronic pain and depression. An all-round varied program of psychotherapy, support groups, medicine and more can help calm depression, deal with your pain and get your life back to normalcy.
Grief
Grief is a normal response that may be caused due to the loss of a job, separation or death of a loved one, or other changes in life like divorce or retirement. Clinical depression is different from grief. Depression includes a variety of symptoms such as negative thoughts about the future, low self-esteem, and suicide, whereas grief is associated with feelings of loss and longing for a loved one, and emptiness. Every person is different in how he or she copes or manages these feelings.
