There are basically two types of depression – reactive and endogenous. The former is caused by some event in your life – death, injury, a stroke, etc. The latter comes from within, where you might be depressed but are not sure why.
In general, irrespective of type, most cases of depression are caused by internalization of anger. Often times, simply removing the cause of the anger will eliminate the depression.
An extremely common cause of anger that can be internalized is the presence of excess adrenaline. Remember, this is the fight-or-flight hormone, so an excess can cause people to be quick to anger (think road rage), have trouble sleeping, feel anxiety (which you mentioned), and lead to excessive drinking, smoking, or drug use.
Adrenaline is only one of a number of hormones that effects depression. A deficiency of progesterone is what causes post-partum depression. A low thyroid level, a low estradiol level, and a low DHEA level can all contribute to depression.
Certain situations where people experience a loss of control can commonly cause depression. An example of this is living in an abusive relationship with a partner who causes you to “walk on egg shells”. Another example of loss of control is when people can’t lose weight – they diet, exercise, etc. and nothing happens. They look in the mirror and get angry. In addition, being a caretaker for someone can create anger because your life is on hold until they pass on.
Using antidepressants for depression is giving a band-aid. They do not eliminate the cause and frequently lead to other problems such as weight gain and loss of libido that can generate even more depression. Very often, simply getting hormones into balance can eliminate an underlying depression and this includes a bipolar-type depression.
Again, this is a complex subject but is often easy to turn around by using a wellness approach. For more information, you can read my book or call my office for a consult in person, by phone or Skype. Consults provided via phone or skype, and I am available for private consulting or for speaking engagements, seminars, etc. http://www.plattwellness.com (760) 836-3232
A complimentary ebook copy of The Miracle of Bioidentical Hormones is available by request to questions@plattwellness.com
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