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Common Triggers of Depression

Although I have mainly focused here in this website on psychological causes of depression, environmental circumstances and/or genetic disposition, certain illnesses and medication  can all cause, or impact upon, depression. 

Psychological Factors

H2 blockers (prescribed for stomach acid control)

Oral Contraceptives ('the Pill')

Corticosteroids (Steroid-based anti-inflammatory drugs)

Depression in Men

According to the statistics, men are less likely to suffer from depression than women. However, these figures must be considered in light of the fact that men are less likely to admit to depression. Moreover, some studies have suggested that doctors are less likely to suspect it. 

There is no doubt that depression is as serious a problem in men as it is in women. Although more women than men attempt suicide, men are much more likely to succeed when they attempt it, with four times as many men killing themselves than women. Suicide is the second greatest cause of fatality in men under 25, after road accidents. The Samaritans have identified younger men as a national priority in their strategy for reducing self harm. Nor is it just younger men who are at great risk of suicide. The rate of suicide in men increases after age 70, reaching a peak after age 85.

Depression can also affect the physical health of men in different ways to women. A recent study shows that, although depression is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease in both men and women, men suffer a higher death rate because of it.

Although it is perhaps changing slowly, men have traditionally found it harder to acknowledge their feelings and the effect they have on their lives. Moreover, men's depression is often masked by the avoidance that may be characterised by heavy alcohol or drug use, or in the habit of working excessively long hours. 

Depression typically shows up in men, not as feelings of helplessness and vulnerability, but as being irritable, angry and uncooperative. Depression may therefore be difficult to recognise as such in men. Even if a man realises that he is depressed, he is perhaps less willing than a woman to seek help.

Encouragement and support from a partner and/or family members can make a big difference here, especially if acknowledgement of problems is viewed, not as a weakness but as a positive trait to have. In the workplace, employee information and manager training can create an environment where problems can be acknowledged before they become too great and therefore more difficult or costly for the employer. Health and Safety legislation now includes a duty of care on employers to have regard for the psychological health of their employees. In part this may explain the growth of employee assistance schemes or workplace stress reduction programs.  Both of these can be of assistance in helping both male, and also increasingly stressed female, workers to understand and accept depression as a real illness that needs treatment. Back to Top

Depression in Women

Women are about twice as likely as men to experience depression. A number of factors may explain this. In part, depression in men may be unreported or may present indirectly due to differing attitudes to depression between the sexes.

Hormonal factors may contribute to the increased rate of depression in women. Changes in menstrual cycle, pregnancy, miscarriage, the time immediately after the birth of a baby, pre-menopause and menopause are all associated with hormonal changes. There is good evidence to suggest that these can trigger depression. 

Leaving aside hormonal changes, major life events, in and of themselves, can be sufficient to trigger a depressive episode. For example, many women are vulnerable to depression after the birth of a baby. This may in part be due to hormonal changes but is equally likely to arise from the responsibilities and stresses associated with parenting. 

A further reason why women are more likely than men to suffer depression is that they often have additional stresses compared to men. They may be balancing responsibilities both at work and home, may be a single parent, or may find themselves caring for both children and aging parents. Back to Top

Artists (Van Gogh, Georgia O'Keefe, Tracey Emin)

Actors (Sarah Lancashire, Patsy Kensit)

Writers (Ernest Hemingway, Sylvia Plath, JK Rowling)

Philosophers (Nietzsche, Marx)

Politicians (Winston Churchill - BBC's 'Greatest Briton' in a viewer poll)

Musicians (Mel C)

Sportspeople (Stan Collymore)

Comedians (Ruby Wax, Caroline Aherne, Paul Merton, Stephen Fry).

Dysthymia

A less severe type of depression. It involves long-term, continuous symptoms which are typical of depression but at a less severe level such that  they do not incapacitate the sufferer. However, people with dysthymia do not function well and rarely feel happy or fulfilled. Many people with dysthymia also experience major depressive episodes at some time in their lives.

Whilst antidepressants can be effective for some, the long term nature of the condition means that medication may not be the ideal choice. Dysthymia often responds well to counselling. Clients often learn to understand the roots of their problems. In some cases there may be unresolved issues behind the depression, such as a loss incompletely grieved or ill-treatment or abuse in childhood. Therapy can help to "process" these issues. Similarly, clients often use their therapy to explore the ways in which they may inadvertently be maintaining their depression by their actions, choices or approaches to life and can learn to adapt these so that the effectively break the Cycle of Depression.

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Bipolar Disorder & Mania

Bipolar disorder is also called manic-depressive illness. It is not anything like as prevalent as other forms of depression. It is characterised by severe highs (mania) and lows (depression) that come and go in cycles.  Sometimes the mood switches are dramatic and rapid, but most often they are gradual. When in the depressed cycle, an individual can have any or all of the symptoms of a depressive disorder. 

When in the manic cycle, the sufferer may be overactive, over talkative, and have a great deal of energy.  Mania often affects thinking, judgment, and social behavior in ways that cause serious problems and embarrassment. For example, the individual in a manic phase may feel elated, and full of wild ideas that might range from unwise business decisions to romantic sprees.  The person may be unrealistically confident about their abilities whilst in the manic phase of their illness. Mania, left untreated, may worsen to a psychotic state where the individual becomes increasingly disconnected from reality.

This disorder is not a character flaw, and it is not the person's  "fault". It is a serious mood disorder that affects a person's ability to function in everyday activities. It affects  work,  family, relationships and one's social life.

Contrary to some popular misconceptions, it is neither a purely biochemical or medical disorder. There are biological and psychological and environmental components to every case.  Increased stress and inadequate coping mechanisms to deal with that stress may also contribute to the disorder's manifestation. Whilst not necessarily genetic in origin, it can be passed down in families.

Bipolar disorder typically begins in adolescence or early adulthood and continues throughout life. It is often not recognised at first and people who have it may suffer needlessly for years or even decades.

Nearly anything can trigger a person to shift their mood, and sometimes there is no obvious trigger at all. Indeed, this latter factor is a typical "hallmark" of Bipolar depression, often used in securing diagnosis.

Research has shown that the most useful form of treatment is a combination of medication and psychotherapy.  Bipolar disorder is not considered suitable for treatment with counselling. (For an explanation of the differences between counselling and psychotherapy click here). With the proper treatment, Bipolar disorder can be managed effectively and a person can adapt well to normal life.