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Let there be no doubt that depression is a serious mental illness that sometimes requires months and years of treatment on the road to a cure. Millions of Americans across the United States are affected by depression each and every year. Only about a third of them will seek treatment, and that makes it worse. Because depression is considered a mental affliction, many sufferers shy away from seeking help from a doctor. Instead of being considered mentally ill, people try to beat depression themselves. Depression doesn’t just stop, and it’s a lot more common than people think.  

So, what causes depression? The answer can get very complicated because you have to take many factors into consideration. Depression can be a long story because of many issues. Here are a few of the parts of depression. Many medical professionals believe that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain.  Why does this chemical problem in the brain happen?  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. Depression often follows diagnosis of other medical conditions, particularly those that result in imminent death or are chronic.

The loss of a loved one or treasured possession can have a tremendous impact resulting in depression. Long periods of emotional, sexual or other physical abuses can result in depression. Substance abuse, either drug or alcohol, can also cause depression. Even a perfectly healthy person, when exposed to the right combination of events and issues, can become afflicted with chronic depression. In many cases depression is passed on genetically. Those afflicted have a family history of the disease .  Oddly, many drugs including those that regulate depression or anxiety can cause 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.  Even positive events such as a marriage, a new baby or winning an award can cause stress. The unknown is often the root cause of this stress, whether it be positive or negative. When friends or loved ones come into conflict with an individual – a co-worker or loved one – the result is stress. Just trying to make ends meet is stressful for some people. Knowing is half the battle as you need to determine the the symptoms of depression.  If you or someone you love suffers from depression-please seek medical assistance.