Causes of Depressive Episodes?

[DepressedAussie]

Does anyone else have types of things that 'trigger' depressive episodes? Or is it just me? It seems that many times when there is a change in my life, I suffer a depressive episode. By 'change' I mean things like going overseas for a holiday, getting a new job, and similar. Oddly, moving house doesn't seem to do it - and I've heard that's one of the biggest stressors in modern life. But others do. Anyone else have similar experiences?

[GuitarGirl]

Hi, Yes, different types of things often do trigger depressive episodes. You are not alone. Many people have different kinds of stressors. Nobody has the same kinds all of the time. You are an individual person who has your own set of stressors no matter how little sense they may make to you. That is okay. Just try to recognize that some things seem to bring on these episodes and be aware when you do something that you know or suspect will do this to you. You can work on that and just kind of accept that it may affect you that way and prepare for it and take preventive measures for it in advance. And give yourself a break. Don't compare yourself to other people and what may be "normal" stressors. It is different for everyone and is very common. We all go through that. And we all have different reactions to them. Take care and keep writing.

[NewieKay]

Change, change and more change *lol* - I am rubbish at any kind of change and it can trigger or make worse my depression.

If I feel I'm losing a friend to someone else, like I've become less important that ALWAYS send me into a downer. I often don't understand the social protocols and cues regarding behaviour so I can get very down about that.

[TraversD]

My personal theory on this -- most of us are born with a depression "gene" or whatever (it runs in my family), but maybe it takes something in our lives to bring it out.

Triggers? Change, confrontation, rejection (real, or imagined), illness, all of them have set me off at one time or another, for at least a while.

I've also had depressive episodes, where I couldn't tell you about any particular trigger. Not that there wasn't one, I just didn't have a sense of that and wasn't really interested in digging into it any deeper.

I don't know if learning our triggers would help or not, but I don't see how it could hurt.

[risdernip]

I don't know about other people but I can tell you what has triggered the 3 major depressions I have experienced in my life. The first one was post-partum depression after I gave birth to my first child. The second one was when we had a major financial crisis and lost our business. This happened two years ago and I recovered with the help of medication (paxil). The latest started around last November involving a very stressful event in my family.

This is what I can share from my own life.

I think life has gotten very stressful lately, there is a lot of uncertainty and changes taking place in the world specially with the economy.

Take care and be well.

[Bronson]

As everyone has said, change is a huge factor in triggering a depressive episode. Yeah, moving house does it for me after awhile. It isn't moving it's the starting over part. The making new friends and meeting new people. I suppose I just wear myself out. That seems to trigger it for me sometimes...getting so busy I forget to take care of myself.
You'd like to think that you can eliminate the triggers in your life and thereby eliminate the depression, right? Is this possible? I don't know...

[Glen]

Change for me is a huge factor, moving house caused me a bit of grief. But it my depression skyrocketed after i started talking to this girl that i was really interested in and she hurt me really badly from then on i get depressed really quickly and i have had to increase my medication.

[mybodymyself]

Yay to this, but I'm with the others with this. As for me it was 2 major episodes that trigger my depression and anxiety. 1st one was when 9/11/2001 occurred. It was that and plus started a school at that time. In the end school wasn't for me and left. 2nd one when during the same time, but 2004. Basically, I went on Seasonale (Birth Control Pill) because I thought it was good and etc. During that time also went off of celexa because I was doing fine and etc. In the end I wasn't. Also, tried a trade school during that time, but that didn't work out as well. In the end I was put back on Zoloft because that one really worked well for me and I'm still on the maintence, spl of dose of it as well.

[Maggie]

oh, yes, definitely.
for me it's anything to do with a "romantic" relationship. any image, movie, book, greeting card, song, what have you, is a trigger.
i don't do change particularly well, either, although i'm much better at that than at dealing with the romantic stuff.
sometimes i just hit my limit in sheer tiredness and that triggers a few weeks of misery.
i've done my best to eliminate triggers, but it doesn't seem to work all that well. there's always something, and there's no one to talk to because "that's just life. get over it."

[dass]

Hi Depressed Aussie,

There are a number of different recognised types of Depression, your sounds like "Reactive Depression", which is defined as:

"Reactive Depression: This type of depression is triggered by a traumatic, difficult or stressful event, and people affected will feel low, anxious, irritable, an even angry. Reactive depression can also follow prolonged period of stress and can begin even after the stress is over."

[Taylor]

My first major depression was triggered by being at university which was a big change that I did not cope with .
Maybe you moving house is a change that you have the coping ability to deal with whereas other changes you may not having the coping abilities to deal with.

Im trying to look for a job but am dreading getting one because I don't like the change of having to learn a new job and deal with new people.
I think society expects us to be more flexible and open to change which doesn't help particularly because of the recession.

[Fey]

My biggest trigger is when I stop feeling safe. Then everything is scary and too much and life falls apart.

[Britt]

Hi! This is my first post to the forum. What sets me off is stress! You know when you have days of run-ins with people, or things out of your control going wrong, or haven't been invited to something you expected to, or when your mother-in-law causes trouble ...... that is when I get depressed. And then I sometimes can get paranoid which is a really bad combination!

[Fey]

I swear sometimes I'm the queen of paranoia...

[Ashes]

Hi Fey,
Are you OK or are you feeling paranoid now?