Depression is one of the most common mental issues in the world right now. You might know someone who suffers from depression or you might suffer from it yourself, but did you know that over 265 million people throughout the globe suffer from this painful mental disease.
Years of medical research has shown that depression can be caused by many different factors. Traditionally people believed that depression was caused by external, social and environmental factors. There have also been studies on the role of genetic in causing depression. This concept has gained a lot of prominence in the last few decades. A recent study on people suffering from depression show that around 40% of the participants could trace the cause of depression to a genetic link while 60% of the participants traced it back to external factors.
Genetic Diseases
Genetic diseases are very common. Specific genes and gene mutations can cause different diseases in human beings. Sometimes these diseases might show themselves right away while in some cases the effects of diseases may only be visible once the child reaches a certain age. Mental conditions like depression and anxiety can also be caused by genetical factors. These can be seen from a very early age however their effects can grow stronger with age. As the person gets older, he/she starts to show more signs of depression.
Is There A Depression Gene?
Clinical depression is the most common form of depression. It is very common to see several people from the same family suffering from the same type of depression and it is usually clinical depression. Researchers have isolated a gene from participants from the same family. A specific gene has been identified that is known to cause depression. Discovery of this gene can be very important in curing clinical depression. It is also known that people whose siblings or parents suffer from depression are more likely to suffer from depression as well.
How Do You Differentiate Between Depression Caused By Genetics and Depression Caused By External Factors
It can sometimes be very difficult to differentiate between the causes of depression. There can be many factors that cause depression. Researchers have identified a gene that causes depression however that does not mean that depression is children may be genetical. Sometimes environmental factors can also cause depression.
When someone suffers from depression, they tend to showcase certain depressing behaviors and properties. Researchers believe that these genes can be transferred to the next generations. However another study also suggests that genes aren’t the only reason for this. Sometimes when kids see the depressing behavior of their parents or older siblings they tend to think of it as normal behavior. This causes them to showcase the same depressing behavior.
This is the reason that it can sometimes get very confusing to identify the real cause of depression especially in scenarios where parents suffer from depression. You can’t be fully sure if the depression is caused due to the depression gene or because the kid grew up watching the depressing behavior of his parents.
Can Other Diseases Cause Genetical Depression?
Genetical depression does not mean that children would suffer from depression just because their parents suffer from depression. Children can also suffer from depression if their parents suffer from any other mental or physical disease. When people suffer from bipolar disorder, then the children also tend to suffer from clinical depression. The same way when parents suffer from any other disease, the children may also be vulnerable to depression. This is also known as genetical depression. Genetical depression isn’t only caused when parents suffer from depression or any medical condition but it can also be caused if any of the uncles, aunts, grandparents or any other relative suffers from depression.
Can It Be Cured?
No matter the type of depression, it can be cured. Genetical depression isn’t easy to identify however once identified it can be cured through different ways. The biggest problem here is that there is not proper procedure. You can try a combination of different things in order to cure depression. Gene editing is a process that is still in its early stages however it is believed that genetic editing can be used to cure genetic depression. However it is not a permanent solution as depression can develop again and even if genetic depression is cured, the person can still suffer from depression due to environmental factors. So in order to cure depression you need to try a combination of things.
Depression may really be in your blood, in your blood sugar. Hypoglycemia can run in the family, therefore raising a red flag for your depression. If you eat certain foods it can trigger depression and anxiety.
There is no specific treatment or procedure here. Medication may be necessary to control depression. Therapy can always help.
Depression may or may not be cured the same way for different people. You father might need medication after 6 hours where as your mother might need a different medication after every 10 hours. Some need standard psychotherapy while others benefit from art therapy.
So the medication and treatment can vary with different people. Mental health professionals and doctors have to choose the best therapy or medicine. There are many medical tests where you only have to give a sample of your saliva (or blood) and the researchers would be able to tell which medicine or antidepressant would be good for them. Some doctors and medical experts don’t have much faith in these tests as they believe that they aren’t effective, though keep these options open.
In this era of technology there are many apps that can also detect your depression. These apps would be able to identify symptoms that cause depression. They may also be able to tell you the type of depression you may have. This would help you select the right medication as well.
Common Misconception
One of the most common misconceptions about depression is that people believe it can be treated but never fully cured. This is true to some extent however recent research has shown that the practical cure of depression is just a few years away.
Depression is such a common and dangerous medical condition that researchers and doctors are trying their best to move from continuous and contemporary treatment to a one time cure. This is believed that the time isn’t far when doctors would be able to find a complete and effective cure of depression.
If you are in crisis or think you may have an emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency room, or call 911 immediately. If you’re having suicidal thoughts, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to talk to a trained counselor.
