Unfortunately, depression is an incredibly common psychiatric disorder among people. There is a 12-16 percent chance that any individual will develop depression or have a bout of depression at anytime during his or her life. Depression is not a random illness, but has many contributing factors that can lead to its infliction on a person; included here are a few of those causes of depression.
Winter Weather
Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD is a winter blues condition that affects approximately 5 percent of Americans. If you begin to feel down for a period of longer than 14 days it may be time to seek treatment. Medication is an option but often a UVA producing bulb will offer the sufferer enough comfort to stave off the SAD.
Cigarettes
Depression and nicotine have been linked for many years, though it is hard to tell which causes the other. It is possible that smokers are more susceptible to depression or depressives are more likely to smoke. Either way, nicotine affects the chemicals in your brain which could lead to deeper depressive episodes.
Poor Sleep Habits
Sleep deprivation is widely known as a contributing factor to many illnesses, ailments and emotional mood swings. Without sleep, your brain is not replenishing brain cells and has a more difficult time dealing with the hazards of everyday life. Participants in a study who were sleep-deprived were more disturbed by upsetting images, similar to how depressive people would react, than those who were well rested.
Social Networking Overload
A recent study showed that those with moderate to severe depression between the ages of 16-51 were more likely to spend too much time on social sites like facebook. Some experts are even referring to this depressive phenomenon as “facebook overload.” It is possible the ones overdosing on these sites are ones who lack social skills in reality and are already depressed or that they are becoming downcast from the picture perfect lives others project on social media.
Geographic Location
Researchers have found that urban dwellers have a 39 percent higher risk of a mood disorder than their country counterparts. Another study found that those who live in the city have greater activity in the part of the brain which regulates stress; those higher levels of stress can lead to greater incidence of psychotic disorders.
Overwhelming Choice or Perfectionism
Many people are simply unable to cope with the overwhelming responsibility that comes with everyday life and can become depressed. Sometimes it is the amount of choices they have to make; this could be simple choices like a kind of juice or lotion, or bigger choices like colleges or career paths. This need to make the right decision stems from a perfectionist trait which is commonly associated with depression.