When you read the title, you might immediately start questioning it. What does she mean with 'Am I weak'? Even if you do not have a depression or have not yet had a depression, this title might look very weird to you. Yet, there are many people with a depression, who believe that they are weak because they have a depression. You might believe that you have a weaker personality or that you are less capable, because your colleagues or friends do not have a depression. To support you with this, we list what causes depression, so that you gain insight in why a depression develops in some people while it does not do so in others.
Causes depression? Genetic causes of depression?
First of all we want to point out that some people have larger chances of developing a depression already at birth, because of genetic causes depression. What is meant with this? Researchers identified genes, which can add to the development of a depression, because they increase the vulnerability to depression. Thus, causes depression can already be present at birth. However, it is important not to focus too much on these causes depression. This type of causes depression will namely not make a depression develop on its own. So why is this one of causes depression not important? To develop a depression, we require an interaction between genetic causes depression and situational causes. Genetic causes depression on their own therefore are not enough in order to causes a depression.
| Genetic causes depression + situational causes depression => depression |
Causes depression? Situational causes of depression?
Thus, there must also be situational causes depression present in order for a depression to develop. While we might be genetically 'vulnerable' to developing a depression, our environmental plays a large role in this. Depression develops when you experience a major negative event and do not choose an adequate manner of dealing with this. A major even is one which you personally consider to be life-changing; a happening, which has had a large impact on you. This is where the first difference can be found in what causes depression. It might be so that your friend does not develop a depression, because they did not consider the happening to be important. We are thus speaking of a subjective experience of an event. Does this make you weak? No, you simply value the event in a different way. Furthermore, we must consider a less-than-adequate manner of dealing with such events in causes depression. This is also called a coping style. Coping style refers to the manner which you choose to deal with events and situations. If we speak of causes depression which will lead to a depression, you will pick a coping style which is not healthy, or not adapted to the situation. For example: you decide to work harder and with more eye for detail, because your colleague got fired and this person was your friend. It can be so that this causes a depression. As you can see, working harder and in a more perfectionist way is objectively not a good way of dealing with the situation, because it exhausts you. By adding up the genetic causes depression and situational causes depression there is a large chance of the development of depression, if these causes depression were to be present during an extended period of time.
Causes depression? Treating causes depression?
If you want to focus on the symptoms of depression and the treatment of that which causes depression, you are welcome at the online self-help program 15 Minutes 4 Me. The program was inspired by therapeutic techniques in order to once again teach you what your capacities are, so that you can pick a better coping style yourself.
Causes depression? Take the depression test!
Would you like to know to what extent causes depression are present in you and whether it is time to start looking for treatment? Then take our free depression test here!
