What is depression and what causes it

What causes depression and what you can do about it? What are the biological causes of depression? What is the psychology behind depression? Depression is a complex disease. WebMD explains what research has discovered about the causes of depression - from genetics to illnesses and medications to major life events.

Also called major depressive disorder or clinical depression , it affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems.

Rather, there are many possible causes of depression , including faulty mood regulation by the brain, genetic vulnerability, stressful life events, medications, and medical problems. A loss of interest in activities or feeling sad and down are symptoms that characterize this condition. Researchers suspect there are actually many different causes of depression and that it is not always preventable. Factors that can contribute to depression include.

This isn’t a guarantee, of course, and minimizing other depression causes can help negate heredity. Medical conditions and the medications use to treat them can be causes of depression. Teen depression is a serious mental health problem that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest in activities.

It affects how your teenager thinks, feels and behaves, and it can cause emotional, functional and physical problems.

Although depression can occur at any time in life, symptoms may be different between teens and. While we don’t know exactly what causes depression, a number of things are often linked to its development. Atypical depression often starts in the teenage years, earlier than other types of depression , and can have a more long-term (chronic) course.

An estimated million American adults are living with major depression. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 9. It is one of the biggest killers of otherwise healthy young men and many women are also affected by it. It is often too easily dismissed as being just a phase or not serious, but dismissing it can lead to catastrophic consequences. WHAT CAUSES DEPRESSION ? Although scientists agree that depression is a brain disorder, the debate continues about exact causes.

Many factors may contribute to the onset of depression , including genetic characteristics, changes in hormone levels, certain medical illnesses, stress, grief, or substance abuse. However, when depression is present due to no specific reason, or it persists even when stressful events are over, it should be considered seriously, and medical consultation should be taken. Understanding the depression types, symptoms, causes and effects can help you to get the right type and level of care for yourself or a loved one. It often from a mix of biology, psychology, and stressful or traumatic events. Different causes can often combine to trigger depression.

For example, you may feel low after being ill and then experience a traumatic event, such as a bereavement, which brings on depression. People often talk about a downward spiral of events that leads to depression. In this article, learn what depression is.

It can affect adults, adolescents, and children.

Talk openly with your doctor if you have these major depression symptoms because help is. Bipolar disorder, formerly called manic depression , is a mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings that include emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows ( depression ). When you become depresse you may feel sad or hopeless and lose interest or pleasure in most activities. But if you are depressed and none of these apply to you, it can be hard to.