20120514 twelve causes of depression

8/17/2019 20120514 Twelve Causes of Depression

1/13

« Prev

1 of 13Why am I depressed?

There are many well-known depression triggers: Trauma, grief, financial troubles, and unemployment are ust a few! "ut if you aredepressed and none of these apply to you, it can be hard to pinpoint a specific cause!


2/13

In truth, there may not be a concrete reason for your depression! "ut here are some little-known causes to consider!

« Prev

# of 13$oor sleep habits

It%s no surprise that sleep depri&ation can lead to irritability, but it could also increase the risk of depression!

' #(() study found that when healthy participants were depri&ed of sleep, they had greater brain acti&ity after &iewing upsettingimages than their well-rested counterparts, which is similar to the reaction that depressed patients ha&e, noted one of the studyauthors!

*If you don%t sleep, you don%t ha&e time to replenish +brain cells, the brain stops functioning well, and one of the many factors thatcould lead to is depression,* says atthew .dlund, /, director of the 0enter for 0ircadian edicine, in arasota, 2la!, and authorof The Power of Rest !

« Prev

3 of 13moking


3/13

moking has long been linked with depression, though it%s a chicken-or-egg scenario: $eople who are depression-prone may bemore likely to take up the habit!

owe&er, nicotine is known to affect neurotransmitter acti&ity in the brain, resulting in higher le&els of dopamine and serotonin4which is also the mechanism of action for antidepressant drugs5!

This may e6plain the addicti&e nature of the drug, and the mood swings that come with withdrawal, as well as why depression isassociated with smoking cessation! '&oiding cigarettes7and staying smoke free7could help balance your brain chemicals!

« Prev

8 of 13Thyroid disease


4/13

When the thyroid, a butterfly-shaped gland in the neck, doesn%t produce enough thyroid hormone, it%s known as hypothyroidism, anddepression is one of its symptoms! This hormone is multifunctional, but one of its main tasks is to act as a neurotransmitter andregulate serotonin le&els! If you e6perience new depression symptoms7particularly along with cold sensiti&ity, constipation, andfatigue7a thyroid test couldn%t hurt! ypothyroidism is treatable with medication!

« Prev

9 of 132acebook o&erload


5/13

pending too much time in chat rooms and on social-networking sites? ' number of studies now suggest that this can be associatedwith depression, particularly in teens and preteens! Internet addicts may struggle with real-life human interaction and a lack ofcompanionship, and they may ha&e an unrealistic &iew of the world! ome e6perts e&en call it *2acebook depression!*

In a #(1( study, researchers found that about 1!# of people ages 1; to 91 spent an inordinate amount of time online, and that theyhad a higher rate of moderate to se&ere depression! owe&er, the researchers noted that it is not clear if Internet o&eruse leads todepression or if depressed people are more likely to use the Internet!

« Prev

; of 13.nd of a T< show or mo&ie


6/13

When something important comes to an end, like a T< show, mo&ie, or a big home reno&ation, it can trigger depression in somepeople! In #((=, some '&atar fans reported feeling depressed and e&en suicidal because the mo&ie%s fictional world wasn%t real!There was a similar reaction to the final installments of the arry $otter mo&ies!

*$eople e6perience distress when they%re watching primarily for companionship,* said .mily oyer->us, $h/, assistant professorof communication at @hio tate Ani&ersity, in 0olumbus! With '&atar, oyer->us suspects people were *swept up in a narrati&eforgetting about real life and +their own problems!*

« Prev

) of 13Where you li&e


7/13

Bou can endlessly debate whether city or country life is better! "ut research has found that people li&ing in urban settings do ha&e a3= higher risk of mood disorders than those in rural regions! ' #(11 study in the ournal Cature offers an e6planation for this trend:0ity dwellers ha&e more acti&ity in the part of the brain that regulates stress! 'nd higher le&els of stress could lead to psychoticdisorders!

/epression rates also &ary by country and state! ome states ha&e higher rates of depression and affluent nations ha&ing higherrates than low-income nations! .&en altitude may play a role, with suicide risk going up with altitude!

« Prev

D of 13Too many choices


8/13

The sheer number of options a&ailable7whether it%s face cream, breakfast cereal, or appliances7can be o&erwhelming! That%s nota problem for shoppers who pick the first thing that meets their needs, according to some psychologists! owe&er, some peoplerespond to choice o&erload by ma6imiEing, or e6hausti&ely re&iewing their options in the search for the &ery best item! Fesearchsuggests that this coping style is linked to perfectionism and depression!

« Prev

= of 13Gack of fish in the diet


9/13

Gow intake of omega-3 fatty acids, found in salmon and &egetable oils, may be associated with a greater risk of depression! ' #((82innish study found an association between eating less fish and depression in women, but not in men! These fatty acids regulateneurotransmitters like serotonin, which could e6plain the link! 2ish oil supplements may work tooH at least one study found theyhelped depression in people with bipolar disorder!

« Prev

1( of 13$oor sibling relationships


10/13

'lthough unhappy relationships with anyone can cause depression, a #(() study in the American Journal of Psychiatry found thatmen who didn%t get along with their siblings before age #( were more likely to be depressed later in life than those who did! 'lthoughit%s not clear what%s so significant about sibling relationships 4the same wasn%t true for relationships with parents5, researcherssuggest that they could help children de&elop the ability to relate with peers and socialiEe! Fegardless of the reason, too muchsuabbling is associated with a greater risk of de&eloping depression before age 9(!

1! ummer weather

Next »

« Prev

11 of 13"irth control pills

http://health.yahoo.net/articles/depression/photos/12-surprising-causes-depressionhttp://health.yahoo.net/articles/depression/photos/12-surprising-causes-depression


11/13

Gike any medication, the $ill can ha&e side effects! @ral contracepti&es contain a synthetic &ersion of progesterone, which studiessuggest can lead to depression in some women! The reason is still unknown, says ilda utcherson, /, clinical professor ofobstetrics and gynecology at 0olumbia Ani&ersity, in Cew Bork! *It doesn%t happen to e&eryone, but if women ha&e a history ofdepression or are prone to depression, they ha&e an increased chance of e6periencing depression symptoms while taking birthcontrol pills,* /r! utcherson says! *ome women ust can%t take the $illH that%s when we start looking into alternati&e contraception,like a diaphragm, which doesn%t contain hormones!*

« Prev

1# of 13F6 medications


12/13

/epression is a side effect of many medications! 2or e6ample, 'ccutane and its generic &ersion 4isotretinoin5 are prescribed to clear up se&ere acne, but depression and suicidal thoughts are a potential risk for some people! /epression is a possible side effect foran6iety and insomnia drugs, including


13/13

easonal affecti&e disorder 4'/5 is most commonly associated with winter blues, and it afflicts about 9 of 'mericans!

"ut for less than 1 of those people, this form of depression strikes in the summer! Warm weather depression arises when the bodye6periences a *delay adusting to new seasons,* says 'lfred Gewy, /, professor of psychiatry at @regon ealth and cienceAni&ersity, in $ortland!

Instead of waking and enoying dawn, the body has a hard time adusting, he says, which could be due to imbalances in brainchemistry and the hormone melatonin!

http://health.yahoo.net/articles/depression/photos/12-surprising-causes-

depression#0
http://health.yahoo.net/articles/depression/photos/12-surprising-causes-depression#0http://health.yahoo.net/articles/depression/photos/12-surprising-causes-depression#0http://health.yahoo.net/articles/depression/photos/12-surprising-causes-depression#0http://health.yahoo.net/articles/depression/photos/12-surprising-causes-depression#0

20120514 twelve causes of depression

Documents