Stress and Depression

[historyteach]

Stress and Depression

There appears to be a complex relationship among stressful situations, our mind and body's reaction to stress, and the onset of clinical depression. It is clear that some people develop depression after a stressful event in their lives. Events such as the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, or the end of a relationship are often negative and traumatic and cause great stress for many people. Stress can also occur as the result of a more positive event such as getting married, moving to a new city, or starting a new job. It is not uncommon for either positive or negative events to become a crisis that precedes the development of clinical depression.

Whether a stressful event itself can actually cause a person to become depressed is not fully known. There are times when we all must struggle with very painful situations in our lives. More times than not these changes do not result in a person becoming clinically depressed. In fact, sometimes people become depressed even when there is little or no stress in their lives and everything seems to be going very well. And, no single stressful event will cause depression to develop in every person. The same type of stressor may lead to depression in one person, but not another.

If a stressful experience causes a person to become depressed, it may happen indirectly. In other words, if a young woman with a family history of major depression suffers the death of a loved one, she may become clinically depressed. In this situation it is not necessarily the traumatic loss itself that caused the development of depression, but the combination of a genetic predisposition with the stressful event that made her vulnerable to becoming depressed.

For those who struggle with more chronic depression, the effects of stress may be more complicated. A stressful event such as a job loss or the death of a loved one is more likely to come before a first or second depressive episode. After that, further depressive episodes may develop spontaneously. It is not certain why stress may lead to depression in this way. However, researchers have theorized an explanation called the "kindling effect," or "kindling-sensitization hypothesis." This theory surmises that initial depressive episodes spark changes in the brain's chemistry and limbic system that make it more prone to developing future episodes of depression. This may be compared to the use of kindling wood to spark the flames of a campfire. Since early episodes of depression make a person more sensitive to developing depression, even small stressors can lead to later depressive episodes.

Some people may become depressed as a result of having to struggle with chronic stress. These constant difficulties may come in the form of having to juggle multiple roles at home and work, making major changes in lifestyle, being in an abusive environment, etc. They may also come with important and normal transitions in life such as late adolescence and early adulthood when many people separate from their families to establish their own independence. Middle age may require adjustment to changes in fertility and virility, children leaving the home, concern about job advancement, and a re-evaluation of accomplishments in life. Retirement is another time of major change as some people struggle with a reduction of position and finances. If a person is under continuous stress, a single difficult event may be more likely to induce a depressive episode. For instance, if a middle-aged woman is in an unhappy marriage, she may be more likely to become depressed after her youngest child leaves home for college. The event of her child leaving home may not by itself have been enough to lead to depression, but the constant stress of an unhappy marriage combined with this event may be enough to trigger clinical depression.

In studying how stressful events may lead to depression, researchers have developed a theory called, "learned helplessness." This theory states that when people experience chronic or repeated stressful events, they learn to feel helpless. This feeling of helplessness is strengthened when a person believes he or she has no control over the stressful situation. Although the research to support this theory was initially done with animals, the effects of learned helplessness may be seen in depressed humans. People who are depressed very often have negative beliefs about their ability to manage aspects of their lives based on perceived failures in the past. For example, imagine an adolescent girl living in a home with verbally abusive parents who tell her that she is stupid and cannot do anything right. Over time the young girl may believe her parents and come to doubt her abilities and self-worth. She may begin to feel helpless and believe that most things are beyond her control. This feeling of helplessness may make her vulnerable to developing clinical depression at some point in her life.

All About Depression: Causes: Environment, Stress, Trauma, Childhood

I just read about this "kindling effect, and started researching it.
Frankly, it's depressing the heck outta me.

I did very well after my first depression. That happened many years ago, when I found my son was a heroin addict and my (now) ex was gambling away the mortgage and was verbally and emotionally abusive to me. And until I worked for the most incompetent, abusive principal, in a hostile work environment, I had no problem for @ 5 years. Stress and anxiety started it off for a few years. Now, it's depression again.

So, does this theory mean I'm more apt to develop depression over and over because I've had it? That the brain chemistry and limbic system have been altered and I'm almost doomed to suffer any time I"m stressed for the rest of my life?

That's no life! It's not a life I want!

So, am I reading this right? Anyone out there know about this?

Shalom!

[nandm]

Unfortunately a lot of it makes sense but I think depression is much more complicated than that. I for one believe I was born with it or at least developed it in early childhood.

[liveweyerd]

Yes, Teach......I do, firsthand.

No, I do not think this applies to you. You've had only one previous episode, exogenous, it's called......precipitated by outside factors....and one other, the same.

I have seen you handle stress and that is not your first response, to become depressed.

You have no history of disabling anxiety, panic or PTSD.
These things, if I understand are the kinds of unhealthy stress that develop and change
the brain's response to recurrent depressions by over-reacting to normal stress.

I have it, and my fear is that it does progress!

[liveweyerd]

And yes, genetic predisposition........it began with puberty for me, tho' it was years before it was recognized. There were even clues when I was a young child.

[StayinAlive]

I i have to be vigilant so as to not re-injure or stress a weak ankle i broke many years ago. If i do i have to take the time to baby it back to health. I have found that is the same with my depression/anxiety issues. Always watching for the warning signs to take it easy or get help. For me my depression was learned from my mom while i was still in the womb. I am still learning to walk so as not to limp, you will run again

[nandm]

Staying alive
What an excellent analogy. It really helped me put things into perspective. Thanks