When depression is externally caused, any type of extremely distressing situation may trigger it. Simply being exposed to depressed people can even be an influence, since children learn by imitation. While these are normal reactions, the condition can perpetuate itself when it affects the internal workings of the body, preventing the person from overcoming his or her pain. When it persists, the condition becomes clinical depression.
There are a number of nutritional factors that can affect a persons mood, contributing to depression. Vitamin deficiencies can playa part. The B vitamins are clearly related to the healthy maintenance of the brain.
The level of folic acid, in particular, bears an inverse correlation to the severity of depression: the lower the level of folic acid in the blood, the higher the degree of depression. The mineral magnesium is also a substance found to be deficient in depressed people. Large amounts of fluoride, on the other hand, may lead to the onset of depression. These types of nutritional factors should not be surprising, even in the case of reactive depression. Once depressed, the person might lose interest in exercising and eating healthfully-or eating at all. Further, the person may be under a great deal of stress, which not only perpetuates poor eating habits but causes the more rapid loss of important nutrients.
Chemical imbalances in the brain can also be either the cause or effect of depression. Dopamine is the chemical that produces anxiety, stress, nervousness, and aggression. When the level of dopamine is elevated, a person may develop feelings of insecurity, paranoia, and fear. Serotonin is another important chemical in the brain that can affect a persons mental well-being. Individuals with low serotonin levels are usually controlled personalities who display mood swings and some sort of compulsion, such as alcoholism, overeating, or being a workaholic, perfectionist, or procrastinator. A serotonin imbalance can produce not only depression but internal anger.
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