What's the cause?

The causes of depression are not very well understood, but it is said that it may be do to genetic causes...in these ones the disease isn't triggered by any known psicossocial factor, last the entire life and it is the worst to deal with. Or it may be due to external causes.
Of course the two causes can act together.
I'm a "strange" person since I remember and almost everyone in my family had depression. Their depression was treatable and their fine now. So the genetic cause could be the one for me.
But in the other hand I have some traumas in my past and in my case the anxiety plays a bigger role than depression does. My education, my parents criticism, their demand for us to be the best, their emotional indiference, the fact they never gived us anything we want like an ice cream, or a doll (money wasn't a problem), being beaten everyday because things like a broken glass. And when they beaten us and we were crying they beaten us even more for us to stop crying.
I love my parents, they provide me anything I need, they really care about me, they're good people with good values and smart ones, but I think they had their issues too and we suffer because of that.
And you, do you find a cause for your disease?

Yes. Genetics may play a large role in your depression. The pressures and traumas you describe easily could have set the illness in motion.

For myself I'm not sure. There may be a genetic link. Various long-term stresses and an autoimmune response may be at fault. I kept going as long as I could, and then I just imploded.

Hi Mulan,

I can relate to some of what you said. I dont feel my depression was genetic, but I'll say my dad at times did seem to look at the down side of things when things didnt go right. He wouldnt stay down, just simple statements like 'that figures' when something didnt work out the way he wanted it too. I think I started to pick up that habit a bit as I was growing up and found myself saying something like that at times, sometimes sarcastically, before the full blown depression hit me at 15.

I point to three main causes for my depression and they were all external. First, my parents divorce, followed by a debilitating car wreck my mom was in. Following that, my step mother began to abuse me physically and mentally. I was still pretty outgoing and optimistic in spite of that. What finally tipped me over though was from being in such a place emotionally that I was reaching out for love outside my family, a girlfriend to hold and be with, someone to call mine and all the girls I asked out said no. That left me feeling pretty unwanted and I crashed completely then. As time went on, I contributed to my own downfall by disregarding my health almost completely.

Thanks for your post. Sorry its been hard on you. I hope things are improving now. I just wanted to say, after all this time, Ive been able to look back and appreciate a lot of what I went through. Even tho my step mom was cruel and mean, she taught me some important things about life and all the other experiences taught me something too. Maybe everyone, or at least a lot of us, have crosses to bear.

I feel especially considerate of people with MI who have it through no real cause of their own or anyone elses. It really makes me aware of how unfair life is to some.

For me, both my parents have suffered from depression at some point but are both healthy now. I do believe there is a genetic link, however I made some bad choices in my life and it is these issues which are plaguing me most at the moment so I don't know if I would have become depressed anyway.
Hugs for you. Hope you feel brighter soon.

I identify with so much of what you say. Confusion over how we were treated as children make it hard to make correct choices in our lives. On the one hand you were neglected and abused by your parents. Next you say that they are good parents. That confusion can come because your parents make you feel like what they do is right. So even though our gut instinct tells us that this is wrong we are manipulated into thinking that what they do is right. It makes it hard to trust yourself and know how to make decisions. Being beaten and not being allowed to cry really messes with you emotions. It makes you go numb and have a hard time getting in touch with your emotions later in life. So no matter the so called good things your parents did, they were very abusive and have to be held responsible for it's affects on you. There was no excuse for what they did.
Both of my parents also had depression. I think the abuse triggers the episodes but the foundation for depression is there in your genetics.
I was able to get out of depression through medication. It took a long time to find the right kinds but I finally found it.
Also it's important to find a life outside your family. You can't let them define who you are. They don't know because they don't look. Be as active in outside activities as you can. Do positive things so you feel good about yourself. There are so many things you can do to help others and build good self esteem.
You can gain control of your life and have a good one.
Good luck to you and keep posting

I think mine is mostly genetic. My grandmother died when I was 19. She spent the 19 years I knew her in bed. She almost never went out.