# Understanding Depression



## Hermes (Feb 2, 2010)

I was looking at this website:

Aware- Helping Defeat Depression

"400,000 people experience the condition at any one time in Ireland; the fact that 1 in 10 adolescents aged 13 - 19 experience a major depression."

(That's nearly 10% of the population of the country!)

"For some people reactive depression can follow even minor set-backs, as the individual's personality leaves them particularly vulnerable to disappointments. "

I gather that some people are more resilient than others.  Everyone faces setbacks, not to mention trauma, in life, and yet not everyone becomes depressed.  

What sets apart those who can deal with life, its unfairness, its often great difficulties, and those who cannot?

Is there an inherited tendency to depression?

Hermes


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## Retired (Feb 2, 2010)

> Is there an inherited tendency to depression?



Douglas F. Levinson, M.D.
Walter E. Nichols, M.D., Professor in the School of Medicine 
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences 
Major Depression and Genetics 

How common is major depression? At least 10% of people in the U.S. will experience major depressive disorder at some point in their lives. Two times as many women as men experience major depression. 

How do we know that genes play a role in causing depression? Scientists look at patterns of illness in families to estimate their ?heritability,? or roughly what percentage of their cause is due to genes.  To do this we find people with the disease who have a twin, and then find out whether the twin is also ill.  Identical (monozygotic) twins share 100% of their genes, while non-identical (?fraternal? or dizygotic) twins share 50% of their genes.  If genes are part of the cause, we expect a patient?s identical twin to have a much higher risk of disease than a patient?s non-identical twin.  That is the case for major depression.  Heritability is probably 40-50%, and might be higher for severe depression.  

This could mean that in most cases of depression, around 50% of the cause is genetic, and around 50% is unrelated to genes (psychological or physical factors).  Or it could mean that in some cases, the tendency to become depressed is almost completely genetic, and in other cases it is not really genetic at all.  We don?t know the answer yet. 

We can also look at adoption studies, to see whether an adopted person?s risk of depression is greater if a biological parent had depression.  This also seems to be the case.

What about non-genetic factors?  There are probably many non-genetic factors that increase risk of depression, many of which are probably not yet known.  Severe childhood physical or sexual abuse, childhood emotional and physical neglect, and severe life stress are probably all risk factors.  Losing a parent early in life probably also increases risk to some extent.

If someone has a family history of depression, are they at very high risk?  If someone has a parent or sibling with major depression, that person probably has a 2 or 3 times greater risk of developing depression compared with the average person (or around 20-30% instead of 10%).

The situation is a little different if the parent or sibling has had depression more than once (?recurrent depression?), and if the depression started relatively early in life (childhood, teens or twenties).  This form of depression is less common ? the exact percentage of the population is not known, but is probably around 3-5%. But the siblings and children of people with this form of depression probably develop it at a rate that is 4 or 5 times greater than the average person. 

Is there a ?depression gene?? Some diseases are caused by a single defective gene. Cystic fibrosis, several kinds of muscular dystrophy, and Huntington?s disease are examples.  These are usually rare diseases.  But many common disorders like depression, diabetes and high blood pressure are also influenced by genes.  In these disorders, there seem to be combinations of genetic changes that predispose some people to become ill.  We don?t yet know how many genes are involved in depression, but it is very doubtful that any one gene causes depression in any large number of people.  

So no one simply ?inherits? depression from their mother or father.  Each person inherits a unique combination of genes from their mother and father, and certain combinations can predispose to a particular illness.

How are major depression and bipolar disorder related?  Most people who suffer from depression do not have episodes of mania.  We use the term major depression for depression without mania.  Most people who experience mania also have major depression.  We use the term bipolar disorder (or manic-depression) for this pattern.  Major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder are the two ?major mood disorders.?  For more information on the symptoms of mania abd bipolar disorder, see the links at the bottom of this page.  Most people with major depression do not have close relatives with bipolar disorder, but the relatives of people with bipolar disorder are at increased risk of both major depression and bipolar disorder.

What about major depression and anxiety disorders?  There are probably genetic changes that can increase the predisposition to both major depression and to certain anxiety disorders including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder and social phobia.  Also, some people have a more general lifelong tendency to experience unpleasant emotions and anxiety in response to stress.  Psychologists use terms like ?neuroticism? and ?negative affectivity? to refer to this tendency, and people who have it are also more likely to experience major depression.  

However, many people who develop major depression did not have this type of personality before their depression started.

Additional resource on this topic:
Genetic Causes of Depression

Attachment: The Genetics of Depression: A Review/ Douglas F. Levinson


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## Hermes (Feb 2, 2010)

Yes.  I fear that is the true answer: "We don’t know the answer yet". 

"Psychologists use terms like “neuroticism” and “negative affectivity” to refer to this tendency, and people who have it are also more likely to experience major depression. "

It just intrigues me how so many people face into and deal with adversity without becoming depressed (certainly, they would experience moments of sadness and upheaval), and yet others fall into depression for what are relatively minor incidents.

Hermes


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## John (Feb 4, 2010)

When you say to relatively minor incidents, you have to remember that we all experience things differently, and a culmination of events and how that person reacts to them could be major to them. To say relatively minor incidents would be your view of the events, compared to how you would have dealt with the events, and your reaction.


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## Hermes (Feb 4, 2010)

Well, yes, John, it is true that we all experience things differently (I think) , and that is basically the question.  Why is that so?  For example, if I get a flat tyre I don't spin into a depression.  Or likewise, if I break a favourite cup.   I don't think these are major events.  I merely set these as an example.  A lot of people don't seem to be able to deal with anything, and go into catastrophic mode for no reason.
I suppose if  "equanimity" could be bottled it would maybe save a lot of peope the misery of depression.

Just a thought
Hermes


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## Andy (Feb 5, 2010)

Hermes said:


> Well, yes, John, it is true that we all experience things differently (I think) , and that is basically the question.  Why is that so?  For example, if I get a flat tyre I don't spin into a depression.  Or likewise, if I break a favourite cup.   I don't think these are major events.  I merely set these as an example.  A lot of people don't seem to be able to deal with anything, and go into catastrophic mode for no reason.
> I suppose if  "equanimity" could be bottled it would maybe save a lot of peope the misery of depression.
> 
> Just a thought
> Hermes


 
I agree, those do not seem like major events, but you, nor I know what a person has had happen to them previously to that flat tire or broken cup. Maybe one of those things were just the straw that broke the camels back. What seems like a minor thing to you could be a minor thing to that person on a normal day, but on the very day it happens it could be catastrophic, because one thing after the other can pile up and make a person break.  
Your statement saying a lot of people don't seem to deal with anything can go any way at all, you do not know. I could freak out over a cup breaking one day because of all the emotion and tension of that day. I could also witness something horrible one day and be rather calm and visa versa. 
Anyway, your saying people go into catostrophic mode for no reason, seems silly in my opinion because you have no way in knowing what anyone has gone through in the first place to make them react to "anything".  What you deem as them reacting to anything could be the last thing they needed to hear, after they lost their job, then their home etc....

Just a thought


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## Hermes (Feb 5, 2010)

Sorry to disagree STP, but they do (go into catastrophic mode).  Please do not judge here.  I have had a long life behind me, in which I have helped an awful lot of people, listened to a lot of people, so in general I do know what I am talking about.  Heh heh, I have never been called "silly".  But anyway, never mind. 

I know what you are saying about the last straw and that stuff.  But that is not what I am driving at.  One can get het up if the electric kettle breaks down with no reason just after a difficult day at work, for example.  But "het up" is not the same as diving into depression. 

Because I communicate with people every day I hear, and know, what they might, or might not have gone through.  Many who do go through a lot (and indeed I have been there too) still despite it all, don-t spiral into depression.  Which I suppose brings us back to the article at the top of this thread.  The why some, and not others.

Have a lovely day.
Hermes


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## Andy (Feb 5, 2010)

Hermes said:


> Sorry to disagree STP, but they do (go into catastrophic mode).  Please do not judge here.  I have had a long life behind me, in which I have helped an awful lot of people, listened to a lot of people, so in general I do know what I am talking about.  Heh heh, I have never been called "silly".  But anyway, never mind.
> 
> I know what you are saying about the last straw and that stuff.  But that is not what I am driving at.  One can get het up if the electric kettle breaks down with no reason just after a difficult day at work, for example.  But "het up" is not the same as diving into depression.
> 
> ...


 
All is good. I just need to say that I wasn't "judging" I was just expressing my opinion and I also was not calling YOU silly, I was saying your opinion was silly. So you STILL have never been called silly. lol  

You may have had a long life with lots of experience but people can have just as much experience or more in a short life and no offense but you do not know anything about my life so I don't think dismissing my comment because you may be older and may have been through more, is really fair. 

I really do understand what your saying, I just don't think anyone can say anything about how a person reacts unless they know where the other person is coming from. 

So if it's cool with you, we can just agree to disagree.  Again, I was not calling you silly, I don't resort to name calling when I disagree with someone.  All things considered there are a lot worse things to be called then silly. lol 
Take care


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## Hermes (Feb 5, 2010)

My dear STP:

I never said I knew anything about your life.  There is nothing personal in my posts about you, in particular.  I was merely commenting on the article above, (which I did not write).  What I am is curious, and I want to know, to learn.  Therefore, I read the article, which to me seemed interesting, and that is why I asked why (and I ask again and the article discusses this) why some seem more prone to depression than others.  That is all.    

I was not dismissing your comment because I am older than you (am I?).  I merely said I had a long life, a lot of experience,  in which (or so I am told, so I must have done something right LOL) I have helped a lot of people.   No, I am not a mind-reader, although I get close enough sometimes.....
If someone, in 3D, says to me:  "I am depressed".  Naturally enough I would ask why.  If it is someone I know very well, I would be aware of background and some information.  If not, I would ask them to tell me, if they so wished.  

I just wish to add that I have never had depression , or any other mental problem, and the most I would ever have taken in medication would be an aspirin or cough syrup.  So I am curious as to why depression hits some people and not others.

Hermes


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## Andy (Feb 5, 2010)

Hermes said:


> My dear STP:
> 
> I never said I knew anything about your life.  There is nothing personal in my posts about you, in particular.  I was merely commenting on the article above, (which I did not write).  What I am is curious, and I want to know, to learn.  Therefore, I read the article, which to me seemed interesting, and that is why I asked why (and I ask again and the article discusses this) why some seem more prone to depression than others.  That is all.
> 
> ...


 
Enquiring minds want to know? lol 

I thought by telling me that you had a long life (which I assumed meant older sorry lol) and a lot of experience and saying you have talked to a lot of people, you said you know what your talking about. 

That is why I said that you did not know my life. lol  Maybe I have had just as much experience as you maybe more maybe less, but I also have experience with depression so maybe I do know what I am talking about as well, maybe I don't, I don't really care about that.  That is why I interpreted you dismissing my comment. 
My response was not in regards to this whole thread, just from your comment #5 and up.

Depression can hit for all kinds of reasons. Do you mean why does it stick with some people and some people can sort of come out of it right away?


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