that occur during depression usually disappear when one completes psychotherapy for depression, without having to take any medication to correct the imbalance. This suggests that the imbalance is the bodys physical response to psychological depression. There are some types of depression, such as bipolar depression, and severe major depression, which seem to run in families, which suggests biological vulnerability. In one study, it was found that in families in which members of each generation developed bipolar disorder, those with bipolar disorder have a somewhat different genetic makeup than those who were not diagnosed. Conversely, not everyone with the genetic makeup that causes this susceptibility to bipolar disorder actually develops the disorder. There are additional causes which are involved with the onset of the disorder, such as stress and other psychological factors. Similarly, it seems that major depression also occurs generation after generation, however it also occurs in those people who have no family history of depression. So while there may be some biological factors that contribute to depression, it is evidently a psychological disorder. Those people who are pessimist, and those who have low self-esteem are more prone to depression than someone who is positive and has a good self-confidence. People learn both adaptive and maladaptive ways of managing stress and responding to life problems within their family, educational, social and work environments. These environmental factors influence psychological development, and the way people try to resolve problems when they occur. If one grows up in a negative atmosphere, in which discouragement is common and encouragement is rare, that child will develop a vulnerability to depression as well.A chronic illness, relationship problems, family crisis, or any unwelcome life change can trigger a depressive episode. Quite often, a mixture of environmental, biological, and ...
