There are two causes of depression; one of them is Biological in where theories of depression can blame it on the brain and the malfunctioning of some of the chemicals that compromise it. The Psychological cause focuses mostly on the experience of loss. The biological cause is the most theoretically popular explanation of depression. Depression is a function of the dysregulation of two neurotransmitters in the brain, Norepinephrine and serotonin. Neurotransmitters are chemical substances in the brain which allow one neuron to communicate with another neuron across the gap between neurons. The brain contains various neurotransmitters, each having concentrations in specific parts of the brain. The parts of the brain seemingly most affected in depression are those involved with mood, cognition, sleep and appetite. The Psychological theories of depression are an Object Relations theory which is about child development processes and the difficulty of coping, The Attachment theory is about bonding when infants are not getting the healthy bond they need between their mothers, fathers, for example, the infants parents have gone through drug addictions when the infant was growing up without knowing what to do or the knowledge and being helpless can have a massive psychological effect on the infant. The Learned Helplessness theory is about when an individual has reached a point where he or she realise they do not have the ability to reach their desired goal and consider themselves as worthless because they have failed. The cognitive theory of depression is a thinking disorder that produces an emotional outcome of depressed moods and all the other symptoms of depression. This theory includes Automatic Thoughts which are statements people make when they are not aware of what they say that produces a depressive thought.
There are various treatments to treat depression; there are two main ones which are Psychotherapy and Prescription drugs which are Antidepressants. They can reduce or even eliminate the symptoms of depression. Psychotherapy is a treatment for mental illness in which a mental health professional e.g. Psychiatrist or counsellor, and a patient discusses problems to find solutions, psychotherapy can help individuals change their thought or behaviour patterns or understand how past experiences affect current behaviours. Antidepressants are a drug used to treat depression. When you’re sad, in your brain, there is a part called your amygdale which is responsible for generating negative emotions such as anger, fear and sadness. The drug increases the activity of certain cells that work in our brains called neurotransmitters. They pass signals from one brain cell to another and the chemicals most involved in depression are thought to be Serotonin and Noradreline. Along with any prescribed drug, there come side effects. The side effects of taking antidepressants is dry mouth, constipation, bladder problems, blurred vision, dizziness, drowsiness, headaches, nausea, agitation. Not every person experiences these side effects. There is also herbal therapy that may help people who are depressed. St Johns wort is a yellow covered flower that is used to treat the milder form of depression. Also Ephedra, Gingko Biloba, Echinacea and Ginseng are used as supplements in treating depression.
In conclusion, depression is an extreme form of sadness which can be triggered by a death, birth of a child, also bullying can make the sufferer worse and then they feel they have no choice but suicide. Depression is a topic which has a vast amount of information on it and a person could research one small aspect of it and receive a huge amount back, this essay only gives a background of what causes it, the symptoms, treatments involved.
