Depression is among the most widespread mental illnesses and can affect people of any age, ethnicity, or gender. The worst is it can also occur at any time in a person’s life.
What factors make a person more likely to suffer from depression? Mental Health Getaway experts have identified a few elements that appear to raise the likelihood of the condition. They include:
- Biochemistry
- Genetics
- Personality/individual traits
- Environmental factors
Biochemistry
Some people may be more susceptible to depression due to how chemicals in the brain work.
Several neurotransmitters- chemicals that help govern the transmission of electrical signals between neurons like serotonin and dopamine are linked to modulating mood. However, using antidepressants often work by altering these chemical imbalances causing depression.
Depression may be indirectly caused by chemical or structural abnormalities in the brain brought on by other disorders, including Parkinson’s and stroke. Stress and anxiety brought on by a medical condition are additional risk factors for developing depressive symptoms.
Some people may also have depressive symptoms due to their medications to treat these and other conditions.
Genetics
There may be a hereditary predisposition to depression because of how commonly it appears in families. However, statistical evidence supports the connection even if further study is needed to pinpoint the specific genes involved. For instance, if one twin develops depression, the other has a 70% risk of getting the disorder.
Moreover, some mental and physical disorders tend to occur together with depression. Both the underlying sickness and the accompanying depression can hasten or slow the disease’s progression. People who suffer from long-term conditions, such as cancer, coronary heart disease, and HIV/AIDS, are commonly affected by depression.
Personality/individual trait
Teenagers and young adults are more vulnerable to developing depression, but it can strike at any age. According to the National Institute of Mental Health Retreats, excessive anxiety levels in childhood may increase the risk of depression in adulthood.
Experts in mental health also point out that persons with heightened sensitivity to grief are more likely to experience psychological distress.
Also, things that occur in a child’s home, such as parental bickering or yelling, can significantly impact the child’s sensitivity. Besides, people have a relational inclination to feel lonely or abandoned after a relationship ends. A loss of friendship, even unintentional, might be the first step toward depression.
Environmental factors
Many professionals in the mental health field feel that vulnerable people are pushed over the edge into clinical depression by exposure to environmental stresses.
The National Institute of Mental Health suggests that some persons may be more vulnerable to depression after experiencing persistent encounters with violence, neglect, cruelty, or poverty.
Other stressful occurrences include physical or mental trauma, the passing of a cherished one, financial hardship, interpersonal troubles, childhood trauma, etc. Visiting Therapy Retreats for depression and finding supportive people might help you deal with these issues.
Conclusion
Although having risk factors for depression increases your likelihood of developing the condition, it is by no means a certainty. However, it is always wise to take precautions wherever possible.
Some dangers, like genetic makeup, are out of your hands, while your character flaws are under your control. So manage them. Above all, get assistance from various mental health retreats for depression.