Depression is the most common mental disorder in the modern man. But, what really causes depression?
Types of depressions
There are two main types of depression: major depression and psychotic depression.
Major depression may be really harmful to the patient as it can cause disturbances in normal physiological processes such as feeding, sleep, physical activity, and the ability to concentrate and complete different tasks.
On the other hand, the psychotic depression has three parameters of characterization, namely deep sadness, decreased intellectual activity, and decreased motor activity. ‘Moral pain’, described by profound sadness and delusional ideas of futility and self-immolation, is common in the cases of psychotic depression.
Other types of depressions include postpartum depression, bipolar disorder, seasonal depression, distimic disorder.
Causes of depression
The depression is associated with changes in the structure or functioning of the brain. As many psychiatric doctors think, depression is linked to chemical imbalances at the brain level. However, this is not the main cause of depression.
People with low self-esteem, who have a pessimistic attitude in general, or who are already overwhelmed by stress are prone to depression. Moreover, physical illnesses such as heart attack, cancer, hormonal disorders, and Parkinson’s Disease can cause depressive disorders, making the person ill and apathetic and unwilling to take care of their physical needs, thus prolonging the recovery period.
Also, losing a loved one, trauma, childhood abuse, difficult relationships, financial problems, or any change in life (desirable or not) can trigger a depressive episode.
Dealing with the cause and not with the results may be a better way to treat depression
Doctors’ first idea of treatment is to prescribe medications, ‘by the book’.
However, such an approach is not always the best. Anti-depressants are working against the results of the depression, against its physical aspects, but are not treating the real causes, which might be traumas, low self-esteem, abuse, or stress.
Recent research in the field shows that a good treatment for depression has to include, at first, the elimination of the psychological causes of depression and, only after that, the administration of medicines.
