| Depression is the most widespread | | | | SSRI's, and there are now a number available, |
| psychological malady there is. Just in the | | | | Prozac was the first on the market and is |
| United States, it's believed that twenty | | | | still the most well known. Prozac in fact is |
| percent of the adult population has | | | | one of the most widely prescribed |
| depression. Putting that percentage into a | | | | pharmaceuticals in history, a testament to |
| number comes to roughly sixty million people | | | | the prevalence of depression and emotional |
| in the US, most of whom don't get a | | | | malaise. |
| depression diagnosis or any form of | | | | |
| treatment. With such a high affliction rate, | | | | The other side of the coin in the thinking on |
| considering the causes of depression is an | | | | depression causes is that depression is |
| obviously worthwhile endeavor. | | | | purely a function of environmental |
| | | | interactive factors. That is to say, |
| There are essentially two reasons for | | | | depression isn't caused by any biological |
| depression: biological factors and | | | | imbalance at all but instead occurs because |
| environmental interactive factors. A | | | | of how a person responds to their |
| combination of biological and environmental | | | | environment. As one example, an individual |
| factors is obviously another possibility. | | | | may consider the break up of a relationship |
| When discussing biological causes of | | | | as a significant loss and fall into a |
| depression, essentially what's being | | | | depression as a result. From an environmental |
| referenced is a chemical imbalance in the | | | | interactive position the thinking would be |
| brain. There are different chemicals at work | | | | that this particular depression isn't due to |
| in the brain, operating in complex functions. | | | | some brain dysfunction but is instead caused |
| There's a correlation between low levels of | | | | by the significance this person attaches to a |
| particular chemicals within the brain and | | | | life event: a relationship break up in this |
| emotional and psychological dysfunctions, | | | | particular case. Using this sort of |
| depression included. | | | | explanation, all forms of depression can be |
| | | | explained by a person's perspective as |
| One of the chemicals believed to have a | | | | opposed to any biological factors. |
| primary function in the regulation of mood is | | | | |
| serotonin. Low serotonin levels have been | | | | So is depression caused by biology or by how |
| associated not only with depression but with | | | | a person perceives their environment? The |
| obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, sleep | | | | answer is likely a combination of both. The |
| difficulties, and anger and aggression | | | | effectiveness of drugs like Prozac |
| abnormalities. The discovery of serotonin in | | | | demonstrate that there is a biological |
| the role of mood was key in the development | | | | element to depression, but there's certainly |
| of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor | | | | also issues of perspective at work as well. |
| class of drugs, also known as SSRI's. Of the | | | | |