Causes of Depression: Nature vs. Nurture, Neurotransmitters vs. Inflammation

Causes of Depression

Depression is a mood disorder that manifests as constant feelings of sadness, worthlessness, and anxiety that lasts for more than two weeks. It is one of the most common mood disorders in the world, effecting more than 264 million people worldwide. However, the cause of depression is a multi-faceted problem, oft debated amongst researchers.

Nature vs. Nuture Debate

One of the reasons why the cause of depression is often debated is because it can be either a biological or environmental cause. Environmental or “nurture” causes include:

Biological or physiological (“nature”) causes include:

Brain Chemistry vs. Inflammation

In addition to the nature vs. nature debate, researchers have also been digging deeper into the biological cause of depression, namely whether depression is caused by inflammation, brain chemistry, or both.

So, what’s the takeaway from all of this information? That there is still a lot we don’t know about depression and other psychiatric disorders. What we do know is that depression can be debilitating…and hard to treat. Talk therapy and medications fail for about 60% of patients. Fortunately, ketamine infusions have become widely available and offer hope to those with stubborn cases of depression. Up to 70% of patients experience relief after their initial series of ketamine infusions, with symptomatic relief becoming noticeable after 1-2 infusions.

If you are feeling depressed, we can help evaluate which depression treatment will work best for you, so you can start living a new life. Contact us today.

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