Causes of Depression
The causes of depression are varied. There is not a single medical explanation for depression, often more than one of the following contribute:
-Genetics
-Personal experience
-Chemical imbalances in the brain
-Extreme stress
Those with chronic pain or illness, or those who abuse drugs or alcohol are also higher risk factors for depression.
Trauma may contribute to depression. It is not uncommon for those who have suffered from any of the types of abuse to become clinically depressed.
It is not known with certainty the causes of depression, whether they be personal experience, biochemical imbalances or both. Therapy and drug treatments are both considered successful.
Most often, a combination of the two provides the long-term relief that the sufferer is looking for.
When it comes to psychotherapy (or counseling) for depression, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is the leading type. There are some variations of CBT, but Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) is the originating theorist and highly practiced around the world.
The counselor works one-on-one to teach you new ways of approaching the stressors in your life. This is usually done with a series of sessions over weeks or months where he/she shows you better ways to use your own self-talk and thinking to overcome your depression.
Drugs for depression include SSRI’s such as Prozac, Paxil, Lexapro and Zoloft. Other depression medicines include Wellbutrin, and those in the category known as Tricyclics.
Depression medications should never be taken without a doctor’s prescription and always under the supervision of a doctor.
Dealing better with stress often helps relieve depression. Handling stress leads to overall better mental health, which leads to depression relief.
In the search for a “depression cure,” many herbal remedies have been produced. Herbal supplement have been known to have curative effects for depression sufferers. Learn more about depression herbal supplements here >>
You can get comprehensive and objective information about all of the depression medications listed above, plus 9,000 other prescription and over-the-counter drugs from the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the United States Pharmacopeia– Go Here