What causes depression?
In this section, we examine the ways people end up feeling depressed. We also discuss some common unhelpful misconceptions about depression.
What are the different types of depression?
Here we look at the different types of depression diagnoses and give brief explanations for each type.
How do you know if you’re depressed?
In this section we discuss the difficulty in figuring out if you or someone you know may be depressed. We discuss other circumstances that are sometimes confused with depression and list the signs and symptoms.
Treatment for depression.
Finally, in the last section we discuss different methods of treatment for depression and provide a few resources.
“Isolation and loneliness are central causes of depression and despair.”
What causes depression?
There isn’t one specific cause of depression that has been discovered. This is likely due to humans being highly complex creatures with a long list of needs that have to be met in order to achieve basic physical and psychological functioning. All human beings are capable of experiencing depression, but some people are more susceptible than others due to factors like genetics, personality or temperament, experiencing stressful life events, or how you were treated by your caregivers as a child. We have needs like food, water, and shelter that are necessary for survival at the most basic level. But we also have fundamental psychological needs for affection, social connection, status, purpose, meaning, and many others. When we go without too many of these types of needs, depressive symptoms begin to form. From this view, we could look at the cause of depression in its most simple form, as a person having unmet needs.
Though we have all heard the myth that depression is a “chemical imbalance in the brain,” there’s no real evidence of that being the case. That common phrase is an oversimplified explanation that pharmaceutical companies could give to consumers that, at face value, seems to make plenty of sense. If the brain regulates systems for mood, emotions, energy, perception, and motivation, and medications for depression (chemicals) relieve symptoms involved with those brain systems, then obviously the medications are correcting a chemical imbalance in the brain. However, our brains and bodies are much more complicated than that explanation might lead you to believe. Neurochemicals like serotonin and dopamine that are targeted by antidepressant medications and are indeed essential for various critical brain functions, can also be found in large numbers in your gut. For instance, ninety-five-percent of the serotonin in our bodies is located in the gut. Further, those same neurochemicals interact with the bacteria in the digestive system, which has been implicated in having an impact on mood and mood disorders such as depression.
While the misconception that depression is a chemical imbalance is arguably the most common inaccurately accepted cause of depression, there are plenty of others that can be quite damaging. A large part of the reason for such misconceptions is due to the fact that if a person hasn’t experienced depression directly, then they have no way of understanding what that experience is actually like for someone who does. “I mean, we all have problems in life, but you don’t see me moping around about it.” Sound familiar? This view not only lacks empathy but it has damaging implications to all of the people who do suffer from depression, more than 250-million people at any given time in the world. This idea suggests that one can just boot-strap or will their way out of depression, or perhaps, that a person is simply choosing to feel down about their life circumstances. Another overly simplified and unhelpful view is that a person suffering from depression is lazy. Perhaps the most damaging view, which is commonly heard from people who are suffering from depression, is that they are somehow fundamentally broken.
The good news is that even if you’re feeling that way right now no one is broken for good. We now know enough about depression to find relief from the symptoms, and there are effective treatments that help people to manage or move past episodes. We discuss treatment options below, but next we examine some specific types of depression. Keep reading if you want to learn more, click the ‘contact’ button below to schedule a consultation or if you have any questions.
“Depression and anxiety are not feelings. Feelings return me to myself. Depression and anxiety are body snatchers that suck me out of myself so that I appear to be there but I’m really gone. Other people can still see me, but no one can feel me anymore—including me. For me, the tragedy of mental illness is not that I’m sad but that I’m not anything. Mental illness makes me miss my own life.”
What are the types of depression?
Below are the different types of depression diagnoses and some quick explanations for each.
Major depressive disorder - Often referred to as “major depression” or “clinical depression.” Tends to occur in episodes that come and go, with people experiencing one episode to many throughout their lifespan. Symptoms are experienced most of the day for most days, last at least two weeks, and interfere with a person’s ability to enjoy life, work, or perform basic daily activities.
Persistent depression disorder (PDD) - Also known as dysthymia, or mild depression. While symptoms may not be as severe as in major depression, PDD is characterized by experiencing symptoms for at least two years and a person with PDD may also have episodes of major depression during that time.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) - People who experience SAD have depressive symptoms as the seasons change, typically beginning in the fall or early winter that wane as spring or summer arrive. Though, there are some people who experience depressive symptoms as the spring and summer seasons arrive.
Perinatal depression - This is when mild and major forms of depression are experienced during pregnancy.
Postpartum depression - Mild and major forms of depression after pregnancy. It’s important to note that both men and women can experience postpartum depression. There are specific risk factors associated with both perinatal and postpartum depression, such as a personal or family history of depression, marital issues, financial issues, and inadequate support in caring for the baby.
“And must I then, indeed, Pain, live with you
All through my life?-sharing my fire, my bed,
Sharing-oh, worst of all things!-the same head?-
And, when I feed myself, feeding you too?”
How do you know if you’re depressed?
Depression can be confused with other feelings and circumstances in life. Its high rate of diagnosis is likely due to being a psychiatric catchall for anytime when our lives aren’t functioning well. A common example is grief. If you’ve suffered a loss recently, chances are you’re grieving and not depressed. The loss can be a job, childhood home, pet, a relationship with a close friend, or the death of a person with whom you were close. In time, and with the proper processing of the grief, we learn to live with these difficult feelings.
In other instances, depression is confused with trauma responses or issues caused by ineffective attachment strategies, like an inability to feel, express, or regulate emotions. It can also occur at the same time as grief, anxiety, trauma, and attachment issues. Depression can cause people to develop addictions and substance use issues, and it can also be caused by the prolonged use of certain substances like alcohol and cocaine. The complexity of these circumstances make determining if you’re experiencing depression or not quite difficult.
If you’re concerned that you or a loved one is experiencing any form of depression, it’s best to contact a mental health professional as opposed to trying to diagnose and treat yourself. Part of the stigma that is involved with depression can make reaching out for help difficult, but having a therapist to accurately diagnose and help you to formulate a treatment plan that’s individualized for you can make a big difference in the duration and severity of your symptoms.
Like any other diagnosis, depression is a syndrome, which is a group of symptoms clustered together in a somewhat common pattern. Just as there are many different types of causes for depression, it tends to manifest differently on an individual basis. It’s experienced on a spectrum. Some people having a debilitating form that makes most basic activities of daily functioning like cleaning yourself or even going to the bathroom feel impossible, while other people might have an experience of irritability, a negative worldview, melancholy, or persistent thoughts of suicide. Another mainstay of depression is a loss of interest in activities that you would normally enjoy, accompanied with low motivation, making the mundane parts of life seem unbearable. If left untreated, even the mildest forms of depression can have a negative impact on your ability to function at work and in life, depleting your ability to make the best decisions for yourself and those most important to you. We have listed the signs and symptoms of depression below:
Decreased energy, fatigue, or being “slowed down”
Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
Persistent sad, anxious, and/or “empty” mood
Feelings of: Hopelessness, guilt, worthlessness, helplessness, restlessness, or irritability
Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies or activities
Sleep disturbances: Difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping
Change in appetite and/or change in weight that’s not due to an intentional change in diet
Somatic symptoms: Aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems without a clear physical cause and/or that do not ease even with treatment
Increased thoughts of death
Thoughts of suicide or suicide attempts
“He who hears the rippling of rivers in these degenerate days will not utterly despair.”
Treatment for depression
If you look closely at the signs and symptoms (see above), you can see that depression interferes with every aspect of human functioning. From thoughts, mood, and behavior to sleep, concentration, appetite, and digestion. It overwhelms. It even makes the idea of seeking treatment overwhelming because it can leave you with a sense of not knowing where to start. But as with anything in life, we start small. Sometimes that means performing the most basic tasks like brushing your teeth and washing your face, and we’ll call that a successful day. In less severe cases it means examining the aspects of your self-care that aren’t being met like exercising frequently and eating nutritious foods that don’t compromise your mental health.
There are many other types of treatment for depression that people find to be effective. Medications like antidepressants have significant effects for some people who try them, and can aid in the therapeutic process. Less invasive methods like light therapy, acupuncture, herbal remedies, and dietary supplements are helpful for some. Then there are more intense treatments like electroconvulsive therapy and Ketamine for people who have depression that is resistant to other treatments. We practice psychotherapy as a treatment for depression, which means we talk about your life to help you find areas that could be changed in order for you to feel less depressed.
The range of treatment types in therapy for depression varies as much as potential causes. We begin by assessing fundamentals of self-care. Humans require basic things like exercise, nutrition, and sleep - and meeting these needs can go a long way in treating depression. Next is likely an examination of your life to determine aspects where your needs aren’t being met, or that you may feel need improvement. This could be learning new social skills to increase your sense of community or reflecting on your childhood to give you a sense of security in your relationships. It could also be an exploration for your sense of purpose in the world and connection to a hopeful future.
We know that being depressed means feeling a pull toward isolation and having a sense of shame about how you’re feeling, yet, so often the first step toward finding relief is doing the opposite of what depression is making you feel. It’s a cruel paradox. We would like to help. Please click the button below to schedule a consultation.