Causes
Depression
often runs in families. This may due to your genes (inherited), learned behavior, or both. Even if your genes
make you more likely to develop depression, a stressful or unhappy life event usually triggers the onset of a
depressive episode.
Depression may be brought on by:
- Alcohol or drug abuse
- Childhood events like abuse or neglect
- Chronic
stress
- Death of a friend or relative
- Disappointment at home, work, or school (in teens, this may be breaking up with a
boyfriend or girlfriend, failing a class, or parents divorcing)
- Drugs such as sedatives and high blood pressure
medications
- Medical conditions such as hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), cancer
, or hepatitis
- Nutritional deficiencies (such as a lack of folate
and omega-3 fatty acids)
- Overly negative thoughts about one's self and life, self blame, and ineffective social problem solving skills
- Prolonged pain or having a
major illness
- Sleeping problems
- Social isolation
(common in the elderly)
Home Care
If you are depressed for 2 weeks or longer, you should contact your doctor, who can offer treatment options. Regardless of whether you have mild or major depression
, the following self-care steps can help:
- Get enough sleep
.
- Follow a healthy, nutritious diet.
- Exercise
regularly.
- Avoid alcohol, marijuana, and other recreational drugs.
- Get involved in activities that make you happy, even if you don't feel like it.
- Spend time with family and friends.
- Try talking to clergy or spiritual advisors who may help give meaning to painful experiences.
- Consider prayer, meditation, tai chi, or biofeedback
as ways to relax or draw on your inner strengths.
- Add
omega-3 fatty acids to your diet, which you can get from cold-water fish like tuna, salmon, or mackerel.
- Take folate
(vitamin B9) in the form of a multivitamin (400 to 800 micrograms).
If your depression occurs in the fall or winter months, try light therapy
using a special lamp that mimics the sun.
Many people try a
popular over-the-counter herb called St. John's Wort. Some studies do suggest that this herbal remedy may be helpful for mild depression, but not moderate or severe. Be aware that St. John's Wort has potential drug
interactions and should NOT be taken with prescription antidepressants, birth control pills, protease inhibitors for HIV
, theophylline, warfarin, digoxin, reserpine, cyclosporine, or loperamide. Talk to your doctor if you are thinking about trying this herb for mild depression.
If you have moderate to severe depression, the most effective treatment plan will likely be a
combination of counseling and medication.
When to Contact a Medical Professional
Call 911, a suicide
hotline, or get safely to a nearby emergency room if you have thoughts of suicide
, a suicidal plan, or thoughts of harming yourself or others.
Call your doctor right away if:
- You hear voices that are not there
- You have frequent crying spells with little or no provocation
- You have had feelings of depression that disrupt work, school, or family life for longer than 2 weeks
- You have 3 or more depressive symptoms
- You think that one of your current medications may be making you feel depressed -- DO NOT change or stop any medications without consulting your doctor
- You believe that you should cut back on drinking
, a family member or friend has asked you to cut back, you feel guilty about the amount of alcohol you drink, or you drink alcohol first thing in the morning
Review Date: 1/28/2008
Reviewed By: A.D.A.M. Editorial Team: David Zieve,
MD
, MHA, Greg Juhn, MTPW, David R. Eltz, Kelli A. Stacy, ELS. Benjamin W. Van Voorhees,
MD
, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Pediatrics and Psychiatry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network (5/17/2007).
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