No one is immune to depression or other mental health issues. You can have a ‘bubbly’ personality or seem happy to others much of the time. You could appear to ‘have it all’ – perfect life, perfect job, children, home etc., however appearances can be deceiving and not representative of what is actually going on emotionally and psychologically.
Depression does not just affect people who are underprivileged or those that are emotionally ‘weak’ (I really dislike that word) – it can happen to any one of us and can be triggered by a number of reasons. Whilst for some there may appear to be no known trigger for depression, here are some factors which can be a cause:
Prolonged stress and major stressful events
If you were to experience stress related symptoms for a number of weeks or months, you are more vulnerable as a result to develop longer term mental health issues, such as depression, particularly if you are not able to cope with the stress very well.
Major stressful events such as a relationship breakdown and financial difficulties can trigger depression. Sometimes after a long period of grief as a result of loss or bereavement, depression symptoms can occur, beyond what may seem ‘normal’ symptoms of loss.
Personality
There is currently no direct link between personality and depression, however there are associations between some personality traits and mood disorders. Studies have made links to people with perfectionist or creative personality types, for example, with depression and other mood disorders.
Environmental and early life experiences
You may have experienced difficulties in childhood such as abuse, abandonment or loss. These issues have a habit of emerging throughout life depending on what is happening. For example, I have had clients who have experienced the death of a parent at a young age. When they have children of their own, the client may notice that life generally becomes more difficult to manage or relationships are affected when their child reaches the age they were when their parent died.
Genetics
A combination of genetic variants can increase the risk of developing depression, hence why you may be asked by a GP or counsellor (should you seek help for symptoms of mental ill health) if you are aware of any mental health issues in your family.
Illness/disability resulting in lifestyle changes
If you are diagnosed with a physical illness or become disabled and are forced to make lifestyle changes, this can be extremely difficult for some people to manage. Not being able to exercise in the same way, or fulfil requirements of your job, or drive a car for example, can damage self esteem and confidence.
Pregnancy and/or birth
Pregnancy and birth, for many, is an exciting time, however it is a time when women can experience hormonal changes (as well as what is going on physically). This along with worries about being a good parent, isolation and lack of sleep can bring on the common ‘baby blues’, however for some, post natal depression can develop.
Alcohol/drugs
This cause of depression could also be described as a symptom of depression. Alcohol is well known for being a depressant and it has been publicised in the media that cannabis can bring on depression as well as other mental health issues.
Biochemical
The brain is so complex and we are limited by what we know about links between brain function and depression due to ongoing research, however, sometimes a chemical imbalance within the brain can cause depression.
Whatever the cause of your depression, a downward spiral possibly occurred. This is when you experience something difficult happening in your life such as loss or a relationship breakdown and as a result you begin to withdraw socially. You may develop negative coping structures such as drinking more alcohol or eating unhealthily. You may then become unwell … you get the picture! The spiral continues and one thing leads to another and depression can emerge.
If you are worried that you may be suffering from depression, then please seek medical advice from your GP.