Depression is the feeling of unhappiness and despair; as a mental illness, also characterized by an inability to function (Hales, G-2). Nearly 10% of American suffers from depression in one year (Murray). It may seem like high percentage of people that suffer from this disorder when you figure one in ten American suffered from depression the past 12 months. The truth is there are so many reasons a person can become depressed. This life-hindering disorder is caused by life-changing, traumatic, impacting experiences. The list is long; emotional physical or sexual abuse, loss of a loved one, family problems, and negative self image.
Ultimately, the causes are not something the person can easily cope with. If problems are serious enough, or occur during and early enough point of life, it can result in major depression. Minor problems will cause a person to experience a short-term, less severe disorder (Hales, 101). For the argument of recognizing which people are likely to suffer from depression, it must be indicated which people have or are likely to experience a cause on the long list. For the first example, the loss of a loved one is a life-changing experience, and often times will take the joy out of life.
This is commonly true for widows, who are likely to suffer from depression. During marriage, an intimate attachment is formed from one spouse to another. The love for the other becomes a part of their life. If one spouse passes away, the other on is left alone. With the once regular attachment to be gone, the widow must now change the life the planned to continue with their loved-one. Depression can also start from a change in someone’s life that is very difficult or seemingly impossible for that person to adjust to. New parents are likely to suffer from depression.
Some mothers and fathers become stressed at the thought of the tremendous amount of responsibility they received from trading their previous more self-centered life to the life that requires focus on other people, a child. (Hudson) College students feel this same stress. They feel the pressure of hard college work, before they have even adjusted to living on their own, and have found their new college identity. The increased need of time management and significant investments in a higher education can be an enormous change of personal responsibility that is occasionally impossible to cope with for college students.
(Hales, 99-100) Depression does not have to be fully environmental though. Depression can arise from the genes of an individual. Women are twice more likely than men to suffer from depression. Whether this is because women are more willing to admit they have depression and seek help for it , or because women are typically known to e more emotional, it doesn’t matter because the gender difference exist either way. (Hales, 100) Genes can have an indirect affect on depression. The genetics can create a predisposed factor in an individual that causes them to be likely to experience a cause.
The cause of depression would ultimately come from the environment, but that cause would be triggered by the person’s genetics. An example would be racism between a Caucasian individual, or group even, and African American person. The genetics of the African American triggered the environment, or Caucasian person, to cause the African American to possibly feel a negative self-image. If this individual is unable to overcome this trauma, the racism will have lasting effects of influencing them to feel like their self is not worthy.
Another similar situation involving negative self image as a cause for depression is obesity. Obesity can easily cause low self confidence, and cause an individual to withdrawal from others; a symptom of depression (Anderson). Obesity can also cause or be caused from lack of physical exercise. Exercise is a powerful way to make the body feel good by releasing endorphins. (Hales, 97) This is just one way the person does not feel positive, but feels negative. Exercise is mentally healthy as well.