Stress

Anxiety Stress Symptom

Discover Stress Cause

Stress Cause

Chronic Stress

Depression Stress

Emotional Stress

Health Stress

Herbal Stress Relief

Illness Related Stress

Job Stress

Managing Stress

Natural Stress Relief

Oxidative Stress

Reduce Stress

Key to Reducing Stress

Relieving Stress

Stress and Anxiety

Stress, Anxiety, and Depression

Stress Anxiety Management

Stress at Work

Stress Counseling

Stress Headache

Stress Management

Stress Management and Relaxation

Stress Management Counseling

Stress Management Course

Stress Management Information

Stress Management Program

Stress Management Technique

Stress Management Tip

Stress Management Training

Stress Relief

Stress Relief Music

Stress Relief Product

Stress Relief Tip

Stress Vitamin

Work Related Stress

Work Stress Relief

Yoga Stress Relief

Social Phobia

Spiritual and Psychological

Stress Tolerance

Why Stress Tips the Scales?

Get rid of stress (Home) > Stress > Depression Stress

Depression Stress Link: How to Survive When Life is Hard

In some people, there is a depression stress link. Understanding that link helps explain why some people are more resistant to stress than others, and why some people are easily depressed by stressful life events. Understanding the depression's stress link may also help you identify ways to deal with both depression and stress, which will make the quality of your life better.

Chemistry and the Depression Stress Link

Chemistry isn't the whole explanation for stress and depression, but it is part of the explanation. When we are stressed, we secrete chemicals such as adrenalin that prepare us to meet a threat. Our heart rate and blood pressure increase, muscle tone increases, we are more alert and vigilant.

Serotonin is a brain chemical that helps regulate mood. We don't know for sure what causes depression, but we do know that when the amount of serotonin present at the ends of our nerve cells is increased, depression gets better. We also know that serotonin is necessary for us to handle stress effectively, and that people with low serotonin levels are more sensitive to stress. So low levels of serotonin may be associated with both depression and a poor stress response.

Early Trauma: The Beginning of the Depression Stress Link

Recently, researchers have found that people who have experienced significant trauma early in childhood have a higher tendency to be depressed than others. Significant early trauma is a threat to a child's survival, and the child's body and body chemistry may be changed by that threat. We say it is "hard-wired" into their biochemistry.

These individuals exhibit a strong depression stress link. When something stressful happens, their response to the stress is out of proportion. The response is in proportion to the original trauma, not the event that is happening in the present. There is an elevated response with stress hormones and a diminished response with serotonin, which creates a direct depression stress link.

Implications of the Depression Stress Link

People in whom the depression stress link is heightened and activated tend to experience stress as low-level depression. Most people experience anxiety during stressful times, but these individuals are more likely to experience depression. Being aware of the depression stress link gives them some tools for dealing with their depression: 1. When the person starts to get depressed, he can identify stressors that might be contributing to his depression. 2. He can use stress management techniques to manage stress and to improve the depression. 3. During stressful times, he may want to take prophylactic anti-depressants, especially ones that improve serotonin levels. 4. He can understand that managing stress is an important, life-long health habit for him. 5. He can develop insight and awareness enough to deal with the original trauma so that he responds more appropriately to present stressors.

The depression stress link is very real and is especially pronounced in people who experienced early childhood trauma. Dealing with the original trauma, learning to manage stress, and treating depression during stressful times may help these people have a better quality of life.

	More Articles
1. Final Thoughts About Stress Final Thoughts About Stress Let's review some of what you have learned about stress. Steel will snap from it and a pressure cooker will blow [...]
2. Take a Stress Test Take a Stress Test The standard tests that doctors use to tell whether you are an easily stressed "hot reactor" (and at greater risk for disease) are [...]
3. Are you Looking for Natural Stress Relief Looking for Natural Stress Relief Where do you naturally look for stress relief? At a bar? In front of the [...]
4. Health Stress Which Affects Both Body and Mind Health Stress: Affects Both Body and Mind When someone says they're stressed out, it usually means they feel a little stressed. Some stress is good, it makes us work harder [...]

ADD YOUR LINK HERE

Resources:

Good Health

Mental Health

Relaxation

Stress