Depression is a disorder of the brain. It is a severe mental illness that is more than just a feeling of being sad, Everyone sometimes experiences sadness. But depression is something more. Depression is extreme sadness or despair that lasts more than days. It interferes with daily life activities and can cause physical symptoms such as pain, weight loss or gain, sleeping pattern disruptions, or lack of energy. And more dangerous Depression can lead to suicide.

Areas of the brain involved with depression:

What causes depression?

There are a number of things that cause depression, it can happen as a reaction to something like abuse, losing your loved ones, violence in school, the death of someone close, or family problems like domestic violence or family breakdown or perhaps receiving depression after a long period of stress. Sometimes we may not know why it happens.

Depression usually develops because of a combination of life events, personal factors, and changes in the brain. It doesn’t usually develop because of one issue or event. Some people may be more at risk of depression because of their personality. Risk factors include:

- Tendency to worry a lot

- Lower self-esteem

- Perfectionism

- Sensitivity to personal criticism

- Self-criticism and negativity

There are many possible causes of depression, including faulty mood regulation by the brain, genetic vulnerability, and stressful life events. chemicals are involved in this process, but it is not a simple matter of one chemical being too low and another too high. Instead, many chemicals are involved, working inside and outside nerve cells. Millions, even billions, of chemical reactions make up the dynamic system responsible for your mood, perceptions, and how you experience life.

Even if you have depression, it's so normal you can find ways to take control of your life and manage your treatment even beyond medications. Making some lifestyle changes can boost your mood and help alleviate many of your symptoms, including low self-esteem.

But whenever you feel like you are depressed, or even sad, you can ask for help whenever you want, not because you are weak but because you want to remain strong and remember it's okay not to be ok It's okay if you feel depressed sometimes but don’t make it last

By: N.G.S