Health and Psychology

Most people think that depression is caused by either situational events or some sort of chemical imbalance.  In fact more than 70% of depression is caused by either an undiagnosed or an inadequately treated medical condition.  Here are some of the main medical causes of depression:

1. Anemia--Anemia has multiple types, but the common feature is that oxygen rich blood is not able to be adequately carried to the brain.   This may be because there aren't enough red blood cells, the cells don't have the correct shape to hold the oxygen molecules, the cells are being used up as they are being created, or the cells lack the rich red color needed to help them transport oxygen effectively.

2.  Lung and heart disease--like the problem with anemia, lung and heart problems cause depression because of the lack of transportation of oxygen molecules to the brain.  The lungs pull oxygen molecules into the blood stream while the heart circulates them through the body.

3.  Infection--infection causes a surprising number of psychological and psychiatric symptoms.  The autoimmune response to illness can cause depression and/or anxiety.    

4. Sleep impairment-sleep apena, circadian rhythm disturbances, changes in sleep schedule or just poor sleep hygeine can all cause depression, and may even cause hallucinations.

5.  Thyroid disease-hypothyroidism or Hasimoto's Thyroiditis can cause symptoms of depression, sluggishness, weight gain, mood swings, irritability, and extreme fatigue.  In late stages these illnesses can cause severe symptoms including psychosis, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and extreme personality changes.

6.  Other endocrine disorders-parathyroid illness, diabetes, adrenal fatigue or failure, pancreatic illness can all cause depression, mood swings, or irritability.

7.  Malignancy--cancer of any type causes the immune system to activate and that can cause depression.  The symptoms of depression may vary with the location of the cancer.

8.  Gastrointestinal problems--malabsorption of nutrients, chronic constipation, gluten intolerance, or impaired large and small bowel problems may all result in depression.

9.  Antibiotic or antiviral use.  Any significant change to the immune system can result in depression.

10.  Medication side effects--depression is a common side effect of a large number of medications including medications to treat blood pressure, gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), high cholesterol, acne, antianxiety medications, and many others.

In ALL cases of depression it's important to rule out medical causes for the symptoms.  Most depression at a mild to moderate level responds extremely well to 6-8 weeks of an evidence based treatment approach such as cognitive behavioral therapy.  If you have attempted an evidence based treatment approach to help your depression and continue to have symptoms, feel free to contact me.