Depression is a psychological disorder which is often characterized as being a type of mood disorder. Feelings of anger, loss, and sadness are associated with this particular psychological disorder. These feelings of loss, sadness, and anger can also interfere in the everyday functions or tasks that the individual who is suffering from depression might have to perform. This is also a rather common psychological disorder. And according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), almost 10% of individuals suffer from this psychological disorder at some point in their life in the USA alone. This statistic or percentage is only bound to rise if individuals take into account the overall population of the entire globe. Every individual is different and because of that fact, it can be stated with certainty that individuals suffer from this mood disorder in different ways. Every individual might further have somewhat of a different experience with this psychological disorder. But depression interferes with the normal or everyday functioning of the individual in most of the cases. This can result in the individual losing precious time and having a lower level of productivity. There are also many other aspects which are related to this psychological disorder including modern depression theories. These aspects are also an integral part of IB psychology and those aspects will be discussed below in this academic writing piece.
The Symptoms
In IB psychology courses, students are taught about a number of symptoms that individuals can experience if they are suffering from this psychological disorder. In this section, readers will also be able to find out about some of the modern depression symptoms. And those different symptoms which are mentioned in IB psychology courses about this psychological disorder are mentioned below.
- The individual might often experience different negative moods like irritability, aggressiveness, anxiousness, anger, and restlessness
- The individual might constantly feel hopeless, empty, and sad
- There might also be different behavioral symptoms which might be observed by other individuals. And some of those behavioral symptoms include loss of interest, consuming excessive amount of alcohol, being no longer able to find any kind of pleasure in activities which were earlier regarded as being favorite, easily feeling tired, suffering from suicidal thoughts, often engaging in activities which have a higher risk, often using drugs, and many other harmful behavioral symptoms
- The individual might experience a lack of overall sexual performance or having a reduced amount of sexual desire
- There might also be different cognitive symptoms. And some of the different cognitive symptoms include often facing difficulty in completing tasks, lacking the ability to concentrate, providing delayed responses to immediate conversations, and many other cognitive symptoms
- The individual might often be unable to sleep throughout the night, might suffer from excessive sleeplessness, insomnia, and restless sleep
- There might also be different physical symptoms like constant pains, fatigue, digestive problems, and headaches
- Individuals might also suffer from a constant feeling of incompetence or despair
These are some of the different modern depression symptoms which can be observed in individuals who might be suffering from this psychological disorder. In the next section, there will be a discussion on the eight most common causes of this psychological disorder.
The 8 Common Causes
According to a large number of IB psychology courses, there are a number of reasons why an individual might be suffering from depression. These lists of possible causes might also change depending upon the age or the gender of the individual. However, in this section, readers will be able to find out about the eight most common causes of modern depression. And those eight most common causes of modern depression are mentioned below.
Biology and Genetics
According to different IB psychology courses, genetics and biology are the most common causes of depression. According to different researches, it has been found that modern depression is a psychological disorder which can be transferred from the parents to the offspring as a genetic component. Majority of the individuals who suffer from this psychological disorder often have a family history of that disorder running in their family.
The Imbalance in Brain Chemistry
According to different studies, the brain is the center for mood control and if there is some kind of imbalance in the chemistry of the brain of that individual then that can result in that individual suffering from depression. In clinical terms, it can be said that if the production or supple of different neurotransmitters is reduced then that can result in that individual developing this psychological disorder.
The Sex Hormones
According to some statistics, it has been determined that women tend to suffer from depression almost twice as much as men. The sole cause which can be pointed to for this is the female sex hormone which makes women more prone to different mood disorder than men.
Disturbance in Circadian Rhythm
There are different types of depressions or depressive mood disorder. And one such type is known as the seasonal affective disorder which is also known as the major depressive disorder which is also characterized by having seasonal patterns. This type of depressive disorder is especially known to be caused due to some kind of disturbance in the circadian rhythms of an individual.
A Poor Diet or Nutrition
It is extremely vital for an individual to consume a proper and healthy diet. There are a number of health issues which an individual can develop just by not consuming a healthy diet. And some of those health issues which can develop in an individual due to the consumption of an unhealthy diet are a different kind of depressive disorders.
Other Issues Related to Physical Health
Our body and mind are linked together in an intricate pattern and because of that, it is extremely important for an individual to be in the best possible physical health so that he or she can have the best possible mental health. There are also different ways in which any kind of illness can cause any kind of depressive disorder. The first way consists of that individual feeling a lot of stress due to the fact that he or she might be suffering from some kind of chronic disease. While in a second way, the individual might experience depressive symptoms due to some other illness.
Consumption of Alcohol and Drugs
The consumption of drugs and alcohol has strongly been linked to this psychological disorder. And some of the different drugs which can cause depressive disorders are statins, stimulants, beta-blockers, and many other types of drugs.
Various Stressful Life Events
An individual might suffer from a sense of grief or loss due to a stressful life event. These feelings can eventually result in that individual to develop any kind of depressive disorder.
These are the eight most common causes of depression according to IB Psychology.
The Conclusion
According to different IB Psychology courses, depression can be defined as a type of mood disorder which is associated with feelings of loss, anger, sadness, and grief. There are a number of symptoms of this psychological disorder. There are also eight most common causes of this mood disorder. And some of those common causes of depression are experienced various stressful life events, genetics, consumption of alcohol and drugs, and many other causes.
The References
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/kc/depression-causes-symptoms-treatments-8933
http://itsoktotalk.in/find-help/
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.shtml
https://www.psycom.net/depression.central.html
https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression
https://www.healthline.com/health/depression
https://www.everydayhealth.com/depression/guide/
https://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/depression
https://www.webmd.com/depression/default.htm
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/symptoms-causes/syc-20356007
https://www.verywellmind.com/common-causes-of-depression-1066772
https://www.psycom.net/depression.central.women.html