Causes and how to handle depression.

Biologically, susceptibility to depression can be inherited, so some types of depression run in families. This is often with especially with bipolar disorder or maniac depression.  Investigation into families in which members develop bipolar disorder shows that those with this condition will have a genetic makeup to an extent than those who do not become ill.

Nevertheless, the reverse is not usually true. Which means not everybody that have the genetic makeup that cause susceptibility to maniac depression or bipolar disorder will have the illness. A stressful environment can trigger bipolar disorder.

Major depression can run in families generation after generation, though is not as powerful as bipolar disorder. People who do not have family history of depression can also experience major depression. Episodes of depression may be triggered by these external occurrences: financial problem, serious loss, difficult relationship, not welcomed changes in life pattern. Environmental, genetic and psychological factors can also trigger episode of depression. These factors may cause depression in some people more than others depending on how individuals respond to depression. For example, people that are discriminated suffers depression more and also people of socioeconomic disadvantage will have increased rate of depression more than their advantage counterparts. Men appears to be prone to depression due to unemployment effects, low socioeconomic status, and divorce.  Women who has been emotionally, physically or sexually abused, both as a child or by their partner are susceptible to developing a depressive disorder also. Homosexuals are also prone to developing depressive disorder when they start lacking a domestic partner.

Certain medications are also more likely to cause depression mainly as a side effect. Such medications include medications used in the treatment of: blood pressure, cancer, seizures, chronic pain, and contraceptive drugs can cause depression. Some drugs used in treating psychiatric problems, medications that treats insomnia and anxiety can add in development of depression.

A number of mental health conditions and disabilities are also connected depression. Depression also appear to be associated with changes in brain serotonin and norepinephrine systems. These abnormalities does not cause depressive disorders rather they are associated with depressive disorders. Women are twice more likely to suffer depression than men.

According to research, it appears that stress due to maternity during pregnancy can result in rise in the chances that the child will be predispose depression as an adult, especially when there has been a genetic susceptibility. The mother’s circulating stress hormone can affect the development of the child’s brain during pregnancy. This will alter the fetus’ brain development thereby making the child to be prone to the risk of depression later in adulthood.  There is an ongoing research to describe how this happens.

Treatment of depressive disorders.

Different racial groups have the ways they react to treatment of depression and different side effects than others.

Antidepressant medications include:

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). These are medications which increases the level of neurochemical serotonin in the brain. Recall. Low brain serotonin level indicates depression. This drugs works by inhibition of serotonin uptake in the brain. The side effects include: diarrhea, agitation, nausea, insomnia, and headache. The side effects are usually mild. After the first month of usage these side effects will go away.

Dual-action antidepressant. These medications include: duloxetine (cymbalta), venlafaxine (effexor) and desvenlafaxine (pristiq). These medications are effective especially in treating severe and chronic depressive disorders.

Mirtazapine (remeron). It works in a different way from other types of drugs. The side effect is that it causes drowsiness. It is normally advised to be taken at night-time especially for people who suffer from insomnia.

Typical antidepressants. These include: nefazodone (serzone), and trazodone (desyrel). They can increase the level of some neurochemicals in the brain synapses and are effective in treating depression in many people.

Antipsychotic medicaitons. Which include: ziprasidone (geodon), quetipine (seroquel), and paliperidone (invega). They are effective in stabilizing moods and at times used in treating bipolar disorder, but must be combined with other antidepressants.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). This involves passing electric current through the brain to produce controlled convulsions or seizures. It is used in cases where the patient is not responding to antidepressant drugs and also when a patient wants to commit suicide. ECT can stop depression even after one or two weeks of using it. It is usually done under anesthesia so people won’t feel much pain. Side effects include: short-term memory loss that resolves rapidly.

Psychotherapies. This involves: to help patients find solution to their problems and also gain insights into their problems; helping the patient to change their negative ways of behaving and thinking that is connected to depression.