As someone who experienced and struggled with depression for a long time, I wanted to share my perspective on depression and its fundamental causes with you, I have combined my research, knowledge, experience, and experiments.
I can tell you from experience and knowledge that additional factors are at play—reasons that most people have never considered or heard of—but I’ll cover them in upcoming blogs and videos.
Let’s talk about the seven most common causes of depression.
1- Nutritional deficiencies
The most significant and common cause of depression in most people is nutritional deficiency, specifically a deficiency in minerals, vitamins, amino acids, and other essential nutrients.
Even if you follow a healthy, entirely natural, organic diet, most of the world’s soils are depleted, weak, and lacking in nutrients. The symptoms of depression can worsen if a person is deficient in important vitamins and minerals that support overall well-being.
The majority of essential minerals can have a big impact on depressive symptoms. The neocortex of the brain is stimulated by the necessary mineral zinc.
Depression may result from the body and brain’s inability to function properly due to zinc deficiency and lack of. One of the most crucial minerals for both our physical and mental health is zinc.
Essential minerals like zinc, selenium, and chromium have an impact on oxidative stress as well as carbohydrate and glucose intolerance. When these minerals are lacking or out of balance, it can result in extreme fatigue and perhaps even depressive symptoms.
You may experience symptoms of an amino acid deficiency such as fatigue, sluggishness, foggy thinking, and depression.
An increased risk of anxiety and depression is associated with a diet that is deficient in vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids, which are;
Omega-3 fatty acids
Vitamin D
Vitamins B2, B6, B12
Folate
Zinc
Magnesium
Vitamin C
Let’s look at the other main causes of Depression:
2- Sadness, grief, anger
Sadness is an appropriate response to a negative event. The difference between grief and depression is that sadness is not accompanied by negative thinking. It’s natural to be unhappy after losing your job.
If, on the other hand, you believe that losing your job means you’re a failure or that you’ll never be happy again, you may feel frustrated and depressed. While sadness can cause temporary depression, it is not the primary cause of depression, as some people believe.
When you’re sad, you do things to lift your spirits; you can talk to good friends, get a good night’s sleep, do things you enjoy, and your sadness will subside on its own. Depressive disorders rarely improve on their own and may worsen if left untreated. Again, everyone is unique.
3- Feeling Trapped
If you feel trapped and stuck in your life, you will fight that feeling until you are exhausted and depressed. External factors, such as a job you don’t like or a bad relationship that won’t change or improve, can have an impact on you. However, in many cases, you may feel upset by internal factors such as low self-esteem.
4- Sleep Quality
A lack of sleep is a simple cause of depression. The most important factor is to go to bed early, around 10 p.m. Many people’s symptoms improve simply by increasing their amount of sleep. My experience and research over the last decade indicate that sleeping early increases the likelihood of feeling better and more energetic. It is an effective method for balancing hormones and alleviating depression symptoms. Having an inconsistent sleep schedule or consistently missing hours of sleep can lead to poor mental and physical health.
5- Diet and Depression
The underrated topic of nutrition plays a significant role in depression. Naturally, the body and brain do not function properly and effectively when they do not receive the right and sufficient nutrients.
Along with eating foods that deplete the body of minerals like sugar, refined grains, and junk food, the most frequent nutrient deficiencies that result in depression are omega-3, zinc, the b vitamins, and vitamin D. I’ve found that poor-quality bread and dry meat can also sap our energy levels.
The consumption of processed food may be the real issue. In addition to not giving us enough nutrition, processed foods with all their additives and preservatives also harm our digestive systems. Eating the right foods at the right time is critical to our health and energy.
6- Inflammation and Toxicity
Inflammation occurs when you consume toxic refined sugars, excessive calories, or unhealthy fats if you are overweight, have chronic infections, or lack sleep.
Excessive unhealthy foods and consuming junk food for a long period can cause us to lose vitality and develop symptoms and conditions such as depression.
7- Loss of Hope, Life with no purpose
The lack of purpose in life is another factor in depression. You must engage in work that you genuinely enjoy and are passionate about. Depressive thoughts and feelings can come from both negative emotions and negative thinking.
In addition, people who are depressed for a prolonged period may start to lose hope, which could ultimately make things worse.
But I encourage you to maintain your optimism and your faith. Consider that this is only temporary, so keep fighting and never give up hope. You must believe it…Consider the bright side and remember that there is hope.
Matt M. Eccles is the founder of Vitality and Happiness Blog. He is a philosopher, psychology enthusiast, wellness and digestion expert, author, and world traveler who is passionate about helping others reach and experience optimum health, true happiness, and increased vitality. The purpose of this website is to motivate and inspire people to handle life’s challenges. Uplift and encourage you to succeed in life and be happy and healthy, increase life quality, and become the best version of yourself.