Humans are emotional beings. We buzz around likes bees, consumed by our daily lives yet we remain bound by "our feels." Everything we say, do, and think, may be traced back to the emotional state we were in at the time; we are what we feel, and if we feel negative, we think negative. Depression is a psychological illness that too follows this basic flow of life, and it's range in terms of intensity is heavily dependent on the emotional state, or mood of a human being.
In high school I remember having a great discussion with my AP Psychology teacher about depression and other mental disorders. Her take on the disorder was something along the lines of "depression is a normal reaction to life." Like many, she agreed that depression is a normal phase that humans enter frequently based on conditions that manipulate their emotional state, “It’s a mood disorder”. When a traumatic event takes place, the affected person may be consumed by it. The severity of the event is directly related to the worsening level of mood and eventually this worsening of mood becomes the root cause of their depression.
However, depression is not solely dependent on trauma itself.
Traumatic beliefs are the direct follow-up to a traumatic event. When an event shakes us up, it isn’t the event itself that scars us, it’s the traumatic beliefs we form around the event. “I won’t ever love again,” “I’m not good enough,” “Everybody abandons me,” “You can’t trust anyone,” we have all said, or thought, at least one of these traumatic beliefs, but formulating these negative inferences, does little to improve our mental health.
A lot of folks think people need something to be depressed about, and these depression stimulating factors are usually external elements. Our culture, religion, relationships and daily lives have a huge impact on our moods and thus are important factors to look at when the million-dollar question, “what causes depression,” is asked.
Isolation from society allows an emotional being to delve deeper into their thoughts and this process may have a negative impact on their mood eventually. The more isolated a society, the more depressed its people will be.
A recent study conducted by the State University of New York at Stony Brook, revealed that people from wealthier countries were more likely to have been or be depressed than people from less wealthy countries. More exposure to technology in such wealthy countries is believed to cause a more isolated culture.
Professor Maria Warren, who teaches computer science at Assumption College, says, “It’s not the use of technology that can cause depression, it’s the excessive use.” In wealthier countries, children are more exposed to technology and excessively isolate themselves with gadgets and gizmos, instead of spending time with people, making “real” memories. “Young people in these countries expect everything to be fast,” said Warren. “It’s the speed.” According to Professor Warren, in tech savvy countries, the younger generations do not take the time to slow down and breathe. “Because technology has sped everything up, we are constantly engaged in a lifelong race that never gives us a break.”
The stress of this “lifelong race” on the shoulders of many individuals explains why some people claim that they’re depressed without a traumatic event having taken place. Stress in general is a key player in stimulating depression, causing anxiety, fatigue and the need to escape. In countries like China, where students are fully engaged in studies and are constantly competing for school admissions and jobs, the stress level is high.
As a Mandarin student in high school, my teacher and I would engage in lengthy discussions regarding cultural differences between the life of the average American, and Chinese student. Many of these conversations lead to varying teaching methods and the positive and negative outcomes of these strategies. If there's one conversation that has truly stuck with me, it's a conversation we had regarding student stress. Apparently in China, and other east Asian countries, when kids are younger they are almost never depressed, because most of them have a goal in the back of their head (thanks to their competitive life styles), and they’re busy trying to accomplish it. As soon as they hit college, that’s when depression strikes hard core considering the cut throat academic and economic competition. As a result many deserving students are denied admission into their dream schools, and bright gradate students are denied work. After working their a$$es off for years I guess they start asking themselves, "What am I doing this for?’”
Many psychiatrists treat their depressed patients by encouraging them to develop love for a hobby or to become goal-oriented individuals. Humans have always been goal-oriented. This goal is not necessarily to get into Harvard University, or become a renowned astrophysicist. Religious and spiritual goals are sought too. Developing these goals helps one to avoid or recover from depression, because it gives people something to live for, and look forward to.
However despite the compelling trauma and traumatic thought based arguments, depression has almost everything to do with brain chemistry. In fact, Neurobiologists like Juan F. Lopez claim, that disturbances in the serotonin (5-HT) system and the Limbic Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (LHPA) axis are two of the neurobiological alterations most consistently associated with mood-altering illness. When somebody is mentally or spiritually fit, their neurochemicals are balanced and there are no abundant secretions of any harmful chemicals or chemical disturbances that may cause anxiety, obsession, loneliness, or fatigue. Wealthier societies “lack spirituality” according to Professor Warren, “And this is why so many of them are depressed.”
Although in some cases holistic healing, unfortunately, does not quite cut it, keep an eye on your mood. It’s impossible to remain positive at all times, however it is important to remember to keep calm and look for the best in situations. The key to a healthy, emotionally balanced, mind is a good mood...to some extent.
