Depression and Other Contributing Factors
Post Partum - Depression
Postpartum depression is a mood disorder that can affect women after childbirth. Mothers with postpartum depression experience feelings of extreme sadness, anxiety, and exhaustion that may make it difficult for them to complete daily care activities for themselves or for others.
Mental Illness - Depression
A mental illness is a condition that affects a person's thinking, feeling or mood. Such conditions may affect someone's ability to relate to others and function each day. Each person will have different experiences, even people with the same diagnosis. Recovery, including meaningful roles in social life, school and work, is possible, especially when you start treatment early and play a strong role in your own recovery process. A mental health condition isn’t the result of one event. Research suggests multiple, linking causes. Genetics, environment and lifestyle influence whether someone develops a mental health condition. A stressful job or home life makes some people more susceptible, as do traumatic life events like being the victim of a crime. Biochemical processes and circuits and basic brain structure may play a role, too.
Drugs & Addiction
Suicide, addiction, and depression have a very close relationship. More than 90% of people who commit suicide suffer from depression, have or substance abuse disorder, or both. Depression and substance abuse combine to form a vicious cycle that all too often leads to suicide. Many who experience such severe depression (as a result of Major Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and other conditions) frequently turn to drugs, alcohol, gambling, and other risky behaviors to numb their pain and/or alleviate their negative feelings.
Family History
It is well known that a family history of suicide increases a young person’s risk for suicidal behavior. However, very little is known about what mechanisms and pathways lead to familial transmission of suicidal behavior. A recent study published in JAMA Psychiatry has found that having a parent who attempted suicide means a child with a mood disorder could be five times more likely to exhibit suicidal behavior.
