Depression - Can It Be Biological?

Stress is the biggest contributor to depression. It is the primary reason why the number of reported cases of depression have increased in the recent years. Stress was initially attributed to cause psychological problems but it was later found that it caused major imbalances with the hormone cortisol . This hormone is secreted by the adrenal glands right above the kidneys and is primarily responsible for regulating stress responses. The more stress you have, the more cortisol is secreted, resulting in other side-effects including chemical imbalances within the brain that cause depression. This makes stress more of a physiological and a biological cause of depression rather than a direct psychological one.

The genetic nature of depression is fairly well documented and it has been noticed that incidences of depression within the family increase the chances of you also developing it. This is because certain genes which are passed down to you hereditarily are major factors in deciding how predisposed you are to this disorder. If your twin sibling develops it, you have an 80 percent chance of developing the disorder as well.

One of the more surprising finds show that certain strong infections such as the hepatitis virus may cause chemical imbalances within the brain as it affects the biological functions within the body. Many types of strong viral infections such as HIV among others will cause biological imbalances that may result in depression even before any psychological impact is felt.

Depression is primarily caused by a chemical imbalance within the brain which is triggered mostly by psychological factors. However, there are physical and biological factors as well that may cause this imbalance. Yes, nutritional deficiencies in your food cause depression if you follow a diet wherein all the required nutrients aren t reaching your body.