Part 1: Where Does Depression Come From?

Depression is one of the most common mental health conditions in the world. Most people have a basic idea of what it is. You probably even know someone who is dealing with it—or perhaps you’ve struggled with it yourself. However, fewer people know where depression comes from.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the most common causes of depression, as well as why it occurs. 

What Part of the Brain Does Depression Come From?

Because depression is a mental illness, it’s triggered in the brain. When you’re depressed, the development of neurons in the brain slows down. The hormone cortisol causes certain brain cells to shrink, impeding the natural flow of things and causing severe changes in your mood. Faulty mood regulation is often responsible for depression, or at the very least, making it easy to feel depressed when triggered.

In addition to brain shrinkage, people who experience major depressive episodes often experience inflammation in the brain. This causes the death of neurons and neurotransmitters, so your brain isn’t able to function properly, leading to cognitive issues and feelings of overwhelming sadness.

Finally, depression can impede the oxygen levels in your brain. Multiple studies have shown the mental health benefits of breathing deeply. It can relax you, reduce stress, and boost your mood. When you aren’t able to give your brain enough oxygen, you’re more likely to feel sluggish, fatigued, and sad. 

What Are the Causes of Depression?

There’s no one cause of depression. It can stem from genetic vulnerabilities, your environment, stressful life events, or even certain medications. It’s also not uncommon for multiple causes to come together to trigger depression. For example, maybe you’re going through a divorce, and you’re worried about how you’re going to make it on your own financially. Those are both stressful triggers that can completely change your mood and cause you to feel helpless and hopeless. It’s often easy for depression to go undiagnosed because there are so many potential causes. Don’t assume that you need to go through some kind of horrible life event to be depressed. Sometimes, the culmination of everyday stress is enough to trigger it.

What Can You Do?

If there’s a silver lining when it comes to depression, it’s that it’s one of the most manageable mental health conditions there is—with the right help, of course. Understanding the cause of your depression is the first step toward treating it. Because there isn’t one universal cause, getting to the root of each individual’s depression is the best way to work through it and learn how to manage it. Working with one of our therapists can be a great step towards feeling better.

There are things you can do on your own to combat depression and its symptoms. Self-care is a great place to start. Do something every day with the specific intention of alleviating stress and boosting your mental health. Spend time outside. Exercise. Prioritize sleep. Lean on your support system. These practices can all make it easier to manage your depression on a daily basis. But, if you really want to get to the root cause and learn the most effective skills for overcoming your thoughts of hopelessness, it’s best to reach out to a mental health professional.

If you’re struggling with depression, feel free to contact us for more information or to set up an appointment. Together, we’ll get to the underlying cause of your depression and learn where it stems from. From there, we’ll work on fostering the skills necessary to manage your symptoms and eventually move forward without feeling so heavy and burdened by the weight of sadness.