Depression - Part 3

When Does Depression Occur?

          Depression can occur at every phase of life.  It is beneficial to look at what causes the depression in the various stages of life.  Even a child may experience it due to the death of a parent, or the divorce of parents.  He will usually blame himself, anger turned inward.

          Suicide is the second leading cause of death among teenagers, and depression is the reason suicide seems like the only way out of this internal pain.  Teenagers have the most emotional trauma adjusting to life.  They are not children any longer, but neither are they adults.  It is a confusing, emotional time for them.  Often, they act out their depression.

          The most common time for women to become depressed is after the birth of their first-born child, called postpartum depression.  However, this is very normal and usually not long-lasting.

          Mid-life is another time depression has an open door to set in.  It is a time men and women feel they are losing their youth and looks.  The reality of growing old sets in and perhaps the realization that certain goals were not met creates an anger that life is passing them by.  Often depression in mid-life is expressed through improper sexual conduct.  This compounds the depression as it brings on guilt.

          

           Elderly people have many reasons for becoming depressed.  There are many losses during this stage.  They may lose their spouses in death, or other loved ones.  They lose friends, and loneliness sets in.  They often lose their health.  Again, there is anger at growing old.

          Even though there are different causes for depression at the different stages of life, general life changes which can occur anytime, can create psychiatric disorders.  Some of these are:  death, divorce, bad health, injury, financial, change of location, change of job, change of lifestyle, change in family, and even change in seasons.  Seasonal Affective Disorder is an absence of daylight that causes chemical changes in the brain.  Holidays are another time that depression can evolve from.  With so many causes it is no wonder depression is our number one growing health problem.  The good news, though, is that depression is curable, and knowledge is the first step toward being cured.

­­­How Do You Handle Anger?

               Since a major cause of depression is repressed anger, then learning how to handle anger is the main way to avoid depression.  The anger must be analyzed to discover if it is appropriate or inappropriate.  This is done by introspection which helps us gain insight to the past from which the anger may stem. 

Introspection also gives us clues to the personality type.  The obsessive-compulsive…known as Type A personality…and the overly emotional personality are the two types more likely to suffer depression from anger.  Appropriate anger is response to someone who has done us wrong.  A forgiving and loving confrontation with that person is an effective way to deal with appropriate anger.  Inappropriate anger results when our selfish and perfectionist demands are not met, and we hold grudges or when we are suspicious.  If we could give up these demands and suspiciousness, we would eliminate a majority of our anger.

          Anger must be ventilated.  There are various ways to express anger.  We can be aggressive, with harm intended, or passive, where we turn this anger inward and out.  Both ways are the wrong way to express anger.  The correct way is in assertiveness.  We accomplish this by saying what needs to be said, but in a tactful manner of love and forgiveness.  Forgiveness is choosing with your will to not hold a grudge and usually takes a Supernatural Power to accomplish it.  The positive side of this is that we grow in Christian love as we forgive.  Growing in Christ helps us control anger, which leaves us healthier and happier.