Is depression soley a chemical imbalance, or can someone be sad for normal reasons for a long time and still?

Question

be diagnosed with major depression?

Answer 1

A little of both typically. There is what is known as "chemical depression" which is the first of the two that you mentioned, where your brain chemistry is a bit off. )Neurotransmitters such as serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine are often not quite working as they should.) Antidepressant medications typically prevent serotonin and sometimes norepinephrine from being reabsorbed thus maintaining a healthier balance (coming from a psychology and not a medical background, this is the best I understand it).

However, there is often something called "situational depression" that occurs as well. If a traumatic event or series of events occurs in your life or a series of stressors that you have difficulty coping with, then it could ultimately lead to depression as well. As far as on the chemical side, I think some people are predisposed (have tendencies towards typically due to genetic factors) to chemical depression (even though they are not currently depressed), but the environmental or situational factors may actually set them off. It is sort of like having risk factors for a heart attack.

Answer 2

There are many ways to look at depression. If there is an event that tends to cause depression and you experienced that event, then you have situational depression.

Genetics has an impact on depression. There is a test offered by the Mayo Clinic that tests genes. Depressed people tend to have inherited two short genes. Those with two long genes tend to experience less depression.

So, when a person has experienced a depressing situation, those with short genes will be more likely to experience depression.

It seems that for the most part, genes only factor into depression if there are life events that tend to result in depression. There are people with two short genes who have not experienced depression.

So far, it appears that depression is solely a chemical imbalance of one sort or another. A person can be sad for a normal or abnormal reason. The feeling of sadness is still created by a chemical imbalance.

There are various levels and types of depression. Mild depression is called dysthymia. Depression with mania is called bi-polar. Depression can be short-term or long-term.

Treatment is up to the individual. A person who is mourning the death of another may want to proceed normally through a period of depression. However, when one spouse dies, it increases the chance of dying for the surviving spouse, so perhaps treatment would be in the best interest of the survivor, although I'm not sure anyone knows if that decreases mortality.

Answer 3

hi a guy melancholy isn't only brought about with the aid of a chemical stability on my own. Use me as an occasion, i'm depressed with the aid of how my existence has been. it quite is least to declare particularly contributing to my melancholy and then I do have a chemical imbalance and the two must be dealt with, I cope with with the aid of psych visits, communicate medical care each week and drugs medical care daily and thrice an afternoon not All document's do prefer the neurology ingredient of melancholy, i comprehend some great ones that look first on the entire existence around you taking in as plenty infor as you gives you and the look into the neurological ingredient and then take it from there. there are various different motives to melancholy. I quite have a great website so which you are able to look at. that's in-intensity from commencing as much as end. i desire you examine it out Be secure and Be properly my chum

Answer 4

The National Library of Medicine website has a basic definition and a lot of links to important information about depression that would help answer your question. The place to start is here

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/depression.html

and then click through on the links toward the bottom of the page.

I hope this is helpful. This answer was provided by a librarian in Pittsbugh, PA.

Answer 5

What could possibly cause a chemical imbalance?
Every thought you have has an effect on your body.

If you think negatively about your life, your self and your problems you end up with hormonal levels that make you feel unpleasant. Extend that for a period of time and you will be declared clinically depressed.

When all else has been tested to get out of depression, you will need to learn to manage your thinking about life and self and problems so that you can handle them. That is life!

http://themeaningisyou.com

Answer 6

Certain physical conditions and problems can lead to depression (diabetes, traumatic brain injury physical disability, for example), certain life experiences (death of a relative, divorce, loss of a job, etc,), and certain behaviors such as sleeping too long, worrying too much, which can affect your biochemistry eventually.

Answer 7

Sad and major depression are two different different things. Depression is awful. It's like the pits of hell.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/clinical_depression
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/sad

Answer 8

Child abuse causes depression, being accused of being depressed can cause depression by negative parents who are just mouthing off. This is the saddest crime of all cause parents can hide behind the tails of medicine to abuse the kids even more with constant attacks of "you need help" "you know how you are"