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Cause Of Depression
Depression manifests itself in a variety of ways. People who are depressed experience symptoms such as low energy, sleeping disorders, feelings of hopelessness and helplessness or withdrawal from social interactions.
Many of them start drinking and using drugs as a way of dealing with these symptoms. This is probably the worst choice someone who is depressed can make.
Alcohol and some drugs are a possible cause of depression, instead of an antidepressant. Taking up drugs or alcohol can increase the severity of the disease and make people feel even more ill and depressed.
Although no one knows for sure what causes depression, there are a few factors recognised to increase the risk of developing it:
Age Group
Some research has shown the chance of developing dysthymia (chronic depression), increases with age until you turn 65 and then starts to decrease significantly. For severe depression, the higher rates of depression are found in people aged between 18 and 45 years old.
Culture
There is also some research to show culture can be a cause of depression and that rates of depression symptoms and gender patterns vary between different cultures, especially between developed and developing societies. However, the difficulty of defining and diagnosing depression in terms that are universally acceptable is a problem in cross-cultural comparisons.
Female Gender
Although gender is not by itself a cause of depression, statistics show a higher rate of depression symptoms in women than in men. About twice as many women than men suffer from depression. This means that simply by being a woman you are more likely to develop depression at some point in your life.
Marital Status
Statistics show people who are separated or divorced are more likely to develop depression than those who are married or have always been single.
Poor Mental Health
A poor mental health is another possible cause of depression. People who already suffer from mild or moderate depression have an increased risk of developing severe depression.
Poor Physical Health
Depression is also related to physical condition and poor physical health. Specific illnesses, such as cancer, Cushing's syndrome or hypothyroidism can be possible causes for depression symptoms.
Substance Use or Abuse
Depression is often linked to drugs or alcohol abuse. The prevalence of dual diagnosis between substance abuse and dysthymia is about 18%.
Even though the exact cause of depression is not known, it is believed it is a combination of several different factors. Particular situations that a person has been going through in his or her lifetime certainly play an important part as well.
Factors that have led to depression vary from one individual to another and the sufferer may find it hard to identify them. However, they have a big influence on the way the disease develops and responds to treatment.
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