Depression is not simply a word to throw around when you feel sad or blue. It is a serious medical illness affecting both body and mind; it negatively affects how you behave, think and feel. And more importantly, these symptoms do not end over night. They are chronic (ongoing) even once treatment begins. As the Mayo Clinic states, the exact cause of this illness is not known, however a number of factors are.
Neurotransmitters
Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers in the brain. The Mayo Clinic states that those responsible for regulating mood are thought to play a direct role in depression. The most common chemicals involved are serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine--when these chemicals are out of balance, it may affect your mood, thus resulting in depression.
Hormones
The Mayo Clinic lists being a woman as a risk factor for developing chronic depression. This ties into hormones as a cause. The Clinic explains that changes in the balance of hormones may be a cause of depression.
Dr. Arthur Schoenstadt of eMedTV.com concurs, adding that hormones may increase a person's chances of developing depression. These changes occur during menstrual cycle changes, pregnancy, miscarriage, premenopause and menopause.
Stress
Stress comes in many forms--the break up of a relationship, financial problems and the death of a close friend or family member. As the website, Depression.com explains, events that are moments of happiness may also cause depression. These include getting married, beginning a new job and having a baby. Everyone handles stress differently, and everyone's source of stress varies.
Pessimistic Attitude
Pessimism has many causes itself; it can stem from low self-esteem, or may be a learned behavior. Psychology Information Online states that a child who grows up in a home where discouragement is normal and encouragement is rare, that child is more prone to developing depression.
The site adds that those with low self-esteem regularly see themselves and the world around them in a negative way. This negativity makes them more prone to being overwhelmed by stress.
Medical Conditions
Medical conditions can both be the cause and effect of depression. As Depression.com explains, serious health conditions such as HIV/AIDS, cancer and heart disease contribute to depression due to the stress and physical weakness they cause. On the other hand, depression can make these conditions worse, as it weakens the immune system. In some cases, the medications doctors prescribe to treat some of these conditions may also lead to depression.
