Why Are You Depressed?

 

Is there a reason to be depressed? A lot of people would say that there is a reason. I disagree with that. There doesn’t have to be a reason to be depressed. Our urge to find the reason behind depression stems from our poor understanding of it. We associate depression with sadness. There is always a reason to feel sad so there must be a reason for depression too, right?

This couldn’t be further from the truth. Sadness is an emotion. Emotions are a response to the stimuli around us hence, there is a reason behind sadness. Depression is not an emotion. It is a condition.

Depression is a mental illness and it is just as dangerous as physical illness. Another mistake people make when we talk about mental illness is that they disassociate it with physical illness. This is wrong. Mental health and physical are intertwined.

A person who has a chronical disease is likely to be depressed. A toll on their physical body starts affecting their mental space. Anything that is mental has to do with the brain. In other words, mental space is not an abstract idea but it is something that has it’s roots in the human brain.

On the flip side, depressed people neglect their bodies which in turn makes them prone to physical illness.

The Serotonin Theory of Depression says that depression arises as a result of chemical abnormalities in the brain. There are, of course, arguments against this theory. However, one thing was proven to be correct.

A depressed person’s brain is different from a normal person’s brain.

Depression also results in the shrinkage of the brain. While we are still researching about what causes depression, we can say one thing with certainty.

Depression affects the brain and therefore it should be taken as seriously as physical illness.

This is why it is not mandatory for everyone to have a reason for depression. An abused child can have depression but so can a pampered, wealthy child.

It is high time we stop having morality discourses around depression or try to judge people’s ‘reasons’ for ‘having’ depression. Imagine me judging someone for having a cardiac arrest.

‘Why did you have a cardiac arrest? You are wealthy. You don’t have any reason to have one…’

If I sound stupid to you, then that is how all those people sound to depressed people: stupid.