Depression

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Thoughts of death or suicide. Some people begin to feel that life is not worth living. They may wish they were dead and feel the world would be better off without them. Others make explicit plans to hurt themselves. The most significant symptom of depression, and one which requires immediate attention, is suicidal thoughts. Watch out for loved ones if they start making routine comments about the worthlessness of their life, or if you see them taking a more significant interest in death.

CAUSES OF CLINICAL DEPRESSION

          Experts are not sure what is exactly at the root of this tragic mental illness of “clinical depression”. Problems with the brain’s chemistry, faulty dietary habits, stressful life situation like divorce or pregnancy, genetics, seasonal changes, a recent bout of serious illness – these all can bring on depression individually or in combination. It is also known to result from biochemical, environmental and psychological factors that cause parts of the brain responsible for regulating mood, thinking, sleep, appetite and behavior to function abnormally. Some of the causes that contribute to the probability of people developing depression are listed below:

(i)           Brain Chemistry – Our brain utilizes many chemical messengers, called neurotransmitters to carry signals from one part of the brain to the other. An imbalance – either too much or too little – of some of these chemicals can lead to depression. Here’s a simple medical truth: When you have a broken leg, you can’t run. No matter how hard you try, you’re just not going to be able to do it. That’s how your body works sometimes; it shuts down so you physically can’t perform certain tasks. Surprisingly, depression works in a similar way. Depressed people also have broken parts – most likely a chemical reaction in their brain – that makes them unable to perform daily activities. And no matter how hard they try or how hard someone tries to convince them to be happy, they can’t just get up and run.

Physiologically, it is believed that depression stems from chemical imbalances in the brain – meaning that you may have abnormal levels of the chemicals that your nervous system uses to send signals to and from the brain. People with depression generally have low levels of serotonin, a feel-good hormone, in their brains – specifically, their neurons have trouble loading serotonin.