Why Are You Depressed?

Your brain chemicals

Lower levels of serotonin and norepinephrine neurotransmitters can lead to feeling depressed. While there are many antidepressants that help boost the levels of these two neurotransmitters, not everyone will not react to these medications. The galanin brain chemical can make it more difficult for some individuals to bounce back from a negative experience.

Not enough sun

If you aren't getting enough outdoor sunshine, this can lead to a change in your mood, This is common during the colder winter months when taking part in outdoor activities is less likely. The vitamin D the sun provides helps reduce depression symptoms.

Hormone imbalance

Hormones influence a number of the body's functions, one of which is mood. The hormone produced by the thyroid glands affects your mood greatly. While it is common for hormones to fluctuate leaving you feeling sad, it can affect individuals differently. Some people may only feel sad for a short period of time while others will feel depressed for a long period.

Stress

Chronic stress is incredibly common in this day and age, but this has a negative effect on your mental health. Constantly feeling stressed, whether it's over fiance, job duties, or social expectations, doesn't allow the body or mind to recover. Being stressed over and over will deplete you mentally, physically and emotionally.

Childhood trauma

Why am I depressed? Maybe you need to look at past events that you have been through. Abuse, poverty, losing someone close to you that you loved at a young age and other traumatic events can lead to the brain being less resilient, flexible and connected. Individuals who have suffered a childhood trauma are more likely to become depressed since their brains have been programmed to stay stuck in a negative thought pattern.

Only thinking about the negative

Feelings are not just affected by what goes on instead our bodies, they are directly affected by what goes on outside our bodies, and more importantly how we react to what is going on. We all go through negative events in our lives and some go through more than others, but it is a part of life. Constantly focusing on the negative or just thinking about the negative that can occur will keep you in a disappointing state of mind.

Being your own worst critic

Thinking negatively about yourself and anything you do will only keep your attention on the negative. Telling yourself how undeserving or not to get your hopes up will only take away the pleasure you could be enjoying in life. Being overly critical of yourself doesn't just weaken your confidence, it also just sets you up for more disappointment.

Feeling alone

We all need to feel connected to those around us and feel support. Many people tend to become depressed because they only have toxic friends or family around them. These feelings can stem from being neglected, left out, or rejected by our inner circle of friends. This can result in spiraling into a negative thought pattern, asking what is wrong with you which only adds to the negative thoughts and feelings.

Your location

Where you live can surprisingly be the answer to your question of “why am I depressed?”. Living in the city can lead to more stress and an increased risk of mood disorders. Living in the city or country isn't the only way your location can have an effect on your mood. Low-income areas and those living in higher altitudes are more likely to feel depressed. 

Not enough sleep

Getting enough sleep is necessary to have enough energy to be able to function through the day, but not getting enough sleep can have a negative effect on your mental state of mind. This is because skipping on getting enough sleep will deplete the brain cells and make it more difficult for the brain to function properly.

Medications

Birth control and Rx medications can cause depression in patients. Contraceptive pills affect the hormones in the body which can result in altering the brain chemistry and chemicals. Many acne, anxiety, insomnia, blood pressure medications and cholesterol medications all have depression as one of their side effects.

Diet

It should be no surprise that what you eat or do not eat can increase your risk of developing depression. If you eat a diet that lacks a sufficient amount of omega-3 fatty acids, you may not be getting enough fatty acids to regulate the neurotransmitters. When neurotransmitters, like serotonin, are not regulated, you can find it more difficult to control your emotions and will feel sadder negatively.

Feelings of sadness can be the result of more than just one factor. If you find yourself asking "why am I depressed" for more than two weeks, it is best to seek out the help of a professional. They can assist in finding a way for you to make lifestyle adjustments, manage stress, deal with emotional issues as well as childhood traumas. Other ways to help treat your depression can include:

• Antidepressants.

• Exercising.

• Yoga.

• Team Sports.

• Meditation.

• Reading.

• Socializing more.

• Start a new hobby.