Top 10 Things That Most Lead to Depression
Depression is not a pretty thing. It can suck people in like a black hole, and it's very hard to get out of. Sometimes it can lead to awful health issues, and even to death. But, how do we prevent this from ever occurring? Well, to know that, you have to know what causes depression, which can vary from Grief to Lack of Sleep to even Genes! Here, I can hopefully help out some of your future selves by quickly counting down the top ten things that can most lead to depression!Additionally, if you happen to be going through depression now, and are having trouble identifying the cause, I hope this list will help you out. As usual, enjoy, but take this list seriously.
Major events in your personal life, such as moving, retiring, losing a job, or getting a divorce, can lead to depression. These events impact your life significantly, often in a negative way. Surprisingly, even positive events like getting married, starting a new job, or graduating can cause depression.
Depression isn't always a common response, but it happens frequently due to the stress of these life events, whether good or bad. When stress is overwhelming, your body might respond with clinical depression. If you find yourself depressed from such events, it might indicate dissatisfaction with your new job, marriage, or a feeling of emptiness after a major accomplishment.
Abuse is yet another obvious item on the list. Emotional, physical, or psychological abuse can cause a severe mental state very quickly or sometimes years later. Depression is one of the most common ways your body reacts to abuse, and any abuse can trigger it, whether online or in-person.
If you're being abused by anyone you have contact with, you need to reach out to other people to prevent this. Many organizations and groups are dedicated to helping people through tough times like abuse, and reaching out to them is a good solution.
One of the most obvious items on this list is grief after the death or loss of a loved one. While completely natural, grief can lead to depression. It's essential to remind yourself that death is natural and that you were lucky to have happy moments with your loved one.
If that doesn't help, don't bottle it up. Seek help from loved ones or a therapist. You don't have to feel ashamed. Everyone understands how hard it is to lose a loved one.
It's usually temporary though.
Surprisingly, completely unrelated medical conditions can significantly increase the likelihood of developing depression. Just as depression itself can lead to other medical conditions, these include diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, and kidney disease, which can all directly or indirectly cause depression.
For example, diabetes may not be physically related but can be psychologically upsetting, potentially leading many to depression. Arthritis is similar to diabetes in this psychological way, while heart disease and kidney disease can physically cause depression. Additionally, HIV and AIDS, lupus, and multiple sclerosis can also cause depression.
Having one of these diseases doesn't necessarily mean you'll be depressed, but it increases the likelihood and seriousness of depression. I count myself lucky not to suffer from medical conditions or depression, but for those who do, it's essential to cling to happy memories and thoughts. Depression can lead to suicide or major health problems, and we must prevent that.
Many people are pushed to depression or suicide because of loneliness, often due to neglect or isolation. People living alone are much more likely to get depression because loneliness is a significant factor.
Without positive interactions, mental health can deteriorate, leading to depression and suicidal thoughts. If you're feeling lonely, open up about it. Keeping it a secret is not helpful.
Overworking often occurs without anyone, including the person in question, realizing it. Sometimes people don't know how large and unmanageable their workload is. Overworking is sometimes unnecessary, but people generally feel they "have to" keep working nonstop, leading to depression.
Like substance misuse, overworking becomes hard to stop. People struggle to fight their urges, quickly leading to depression and sometimes even suicide. If you're feeling depressed, anxious, or stressed due to overwork, you must tell someone, whether it's your boss or loved ones. Only they can help you out of this. You can't do it all by yourself.
Surprisingly, gender plays a significant role in depression. Women are twice as likely to become depressed as men. This isn't due to sexism but because women experience more drastic hormonal changes, particularly during puberty and after pregnancy. These hormonal changes can trigger depression.
One of the biggest reasons on this list is substance misuse. Substance misuse involves using alcohol, drugs (illegal or legal), or prescriptions/medications in ways they aren't meant to be used. Many people misuse substances to cope with stress or anxiety, but this is one of the worst things to do.
You quickly get addicted, and your mental health deteriorates, almost certainly leading to depression. Even if substance misuse seems to help in the short term, it worsens depression over time.
Poor nutrition is a significant factor in depression. Low amounts of carbohydrates can trigger something in your brain that makes depression more likely. Nutrition is vital for both physical and mental health. Researchers have found that poor diets lead to worsening mood disorders, including depression.
Ensure your diet is balanced with enough carbohydrates to balance proteins and get all necessary nutrients. Imbalances in food can be very bad for you.
Surprisingly, family genes can make you more susceptible to depression and may cause it without a clear reason. Your genes might make you prone to depression as a reaction to even minor events. If none of the other factors on this list apply to you, this might be the issue.
You can check if this is the case by looking at your family history. If your parents, their parents, or other close relatives have struggled with depression, even on one side of the family, it could be genetic. The type of depression and its future effects are complicated, but it's clear that genetics can be a direct or indirect factor in many cases of depression.
The sun provides a vitamin called "Vitamin D" which helps you stay happy and outgoing. If you don't get enough of this, it can lead to depression.
Can confirm. I am the one who stays up.
I personally think this needs to be higher considering a good number of people get depressed. The notion of comparing oneself to others can create a toxic environment. Humans have a natural sense of seeking validation, and social media amplifies that problem, hence why people feel the sense of "missing out."
Social media can lead to toxic standards that cause low self-esteem and high, impossible ideals of an ideal life that often lead to depression.
Religion gives you a purpose, although it is frowned upon in today's society.