Why Are You Fighting Feelings of Sadness and Fatigue?
Depression can be a constant struggle for some individuals. Outside of the typical emotional ups and downs people experience daily, a depressive disorder can place a seemingly permanent damper on one’s mental state. However, what causes this dysregulation? Is it something that can be counteracted or treated? Can depression be overcome? Yes, it absolutely can. With help from trained mental health professionals, such as those at Chapin & Russell Associates, you can get to the root of your depression and learn ways to better manage and reduce it.
What Are Some Common Root Causes for Depression
Sometimes, it might be a one-off event that impacts your depression. Other times, something in your past continues to cause you distress. No matter the reason for your depression, there are ways to minimize it with assistance from Chapin & Russel Associates. As such, some of the common root causes of depression include:
Childhood Trauma
Your past events can come back to haunt you in debilitating ways. For example, those with childhood trauma are much more likely to experience depression at some point in their life. Issues of neglect, physical or emotional abuse, sexual abuse, the deaths of close family members, parents’ separation, and more all have an impact on your psyche beyond the initial event. Such experiences can, unfortunately, shape the way you cope or deal with challenging emotions, making it difficult for you to contend with extreme dysregulation as an adult.
Major Life Events
Depression can be caused by significantly more recent events in your life, not just your experiences as a child. For example, the sudden death of a loved one, the loss of a job, the breakdown of a relationship, and more can all contribute to severe depressive episodes. While it is expected to feel some degree of depression after such events, it becomes an issue when emotional dysregulation doesn’t subside. Even happy life events, like marriage or the birth of a child, can cause depression. Our brain reacts to stress, whether from positive or negative events, in unexpected ways.
Genetics
As more research has been conducted on depression and its causes, it has been discovered that genetics can play a major role. Suppose someone has a family history of depression, such as a parent or sibling with the disease. In that case, the likelihood you’ll develop depression yourself is two to three times greater than those without relatives with depressive disorders. However, this doesn’t imply you “inherit” depression. More specifically, the unique combination of your mother’s and father’s genes places you at a greater disposition for developing depression.
Personality
Believe it or not, your personality can be a factor in how depression affects you. Individuals with specific personality characteristics, such as a tendency towards pessimism, high neuroticism, or low self-esteem, may be more susceptible to depression. For example, those who are more prone to worry or have a negative outlook on life may perceive events as more stressful or hopeless, amplifying feelings of sadness or despair. Conversely, individuals with resilient personality traits, such as optimism and high self-efficacy, may be better equipped to manage stress and adversity, potentially reducing their risk of depression.
Additional Factors
Depression can also be traced to factors like illness, medication side effects, substance abuse, loneliness, bodily changes, and more. Longstanding illnesses like diabetes or heart disease are life-threatening and fear-inducing, directly impacting the depressive thoughts of individuals. In addition, a reliance on drugs and alcohol to cope with depression, most times, makes it worse. There’s simply too much that can affect your emotional state to determine the source of it without a professional assessment.
What Can Be Done?
If you wish to get to the bottom of your depression and discover its source, Chapin & Russell Associates can assist. Through therapy focused on depressive symptoms, we help clients uncover the root of emotional dysregulation. Once we understand what impacts your depression, we can implement effective solutions for combatting it. Sometimes, all that’s required is additional counseling. Other times, medication might be necessary to get your emotions under control. No matter what steps you must take to help resolve your depression, Chapin & Russell will be your guide every step of the way.
If you are interested in scheduling a session with a member of our mental health team, contact Chapin & Russell Associates today by calling 309-681-5850. You can also see our additional general counseling services on our website. Our main office is located at 3020 W Willow Knolls Dr, Peoria, IL 61614.
