Where does depression come from? Why is it classified as a disease?
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Depression can have many causes and can be described on a variety of levels. There’s a neurological level, a biological level, a physiological, behavioral, social even nutritional one and I probably forgot one. And they all interact, turning it into a spiral that makes depression the difficult mental health issue that it is.
The causes can be different, it can be anything from medical (a tumor) to lack of nutrients/vitamins to anything external (traumatic experience, drug use, lack of emotional resources, lifer chanhing events, denying ones needs, tough times, lack of social support etc.)
It’s helpful to view depression as the body and mind shutting down.
And its helpful to take the system of needs, drives and reward to describe what depression is. Our needs are important signals of what we need to survive, our drive allowes us to get what we need, our reward systems rewards us for using our drive to serve our needs.
Now, depression acts on our needs, drive and reward system. Meaning, during depressive episodes people experience decreased needs, lack of drive and experience little satisfaction from whatever they do.
This doesnt affect just things like working, reading or meetinf peope. It can affect very basic needs like hunger, too.
And this is not just an experience of the mind. The body lacks energy, is tired as well.
All of those processes turn into a loop that can make it difficult to get out of it.
The more depressed one is, the less they have the energy and resources to get out of depression, with suicidal thoughts at the very extreme end of it. And its not that people necessarily want to die, they just dont want to live – this might not make sense for some but it does to most who have experienced a certain level of depression.
And because of all those effects it can have, mentally and physically it is a disease. Because it really can make people unable to live their life and function in society.
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