Joy and the Journey

Major Depressive Disorder has no one known cause. All of, but not limited to, the following, usually in combinations of at least two or more, can cause or contribute to MDD.
•    Failure of neurons to send and/or receive the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. This is what most people mean when they refer to MDD as a “chemical imbalance”.
•    Abnormal brain structure—enlarged lateral ventricles, decreased frontal lobe volume, lower levels of activity in the left frontal cortex, and/or stress-related hippocampal damage.
•    Genetics (27% risk for a child to develop depression if one parent has depression, 54% risk if both parents have depression. 50% risk for one identical twin to develop depression if the other does. 35% risk for one fraternal twin to develop depression if the other does).
•    Psychosocial and environmental factors, ex. history of sexual abuse, trauma, physical abuse, bereavement at a young age, alcoholism, insufficient family structure or areas where war, poverty, natural disasters, and neglect are common.
•    Cognitive factors, like self-defeating beliefs, inability to acknowledge personal accomplishment, negative explanatory style, quick and exaggerated temper, and pessimism.
•    External locus of control and learned helplessness
•    Lower levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the blood.
•    Stressful events or significant life changes, like losing a loved one, divorce, financial ruin, unemployment, or sometimes even marriage, a new job, or a promotion.