Why does depression come on suddenly?

Depression is a complicated illness that takes many different clinical forms. While some forms of depression can indeed be 'triggered' by specific events or reactions and alleviated with cognitive therapy (that helps you to respond to those triggers in a new way), many other forms of depression hit suddenly for no known reason. There's no trigger to respond to, and the harder you look for one the more frustrated and depressed you get.

For instance, cyclic major depression--which is marked by periods of wellness punctuated by sudden depressive episodes--is so common among writers as a group that some researchers have theorized that it might be tied to creativity in some way, and yet after a gazillion studies they still don't know WHY it hits so unpredictably or why it hits some people so hard and others not at all. Dick Cavett struggles with cyclic major depression and has written personally and extensively about it. The famous author William Styron referred to the illness as 'the black dog'--as in, 'the black dog is back'--meaning his depression had returned.

I am posting a link here to a collection of essays by writers who struggle with depression that's really excellent. It's called "Unholy Ghost. " We do know that depressed people have very low levels of serotonin and abnormal levels of norephinephrine in their blood streams.

Serotonin is a hormone associated with positive mood. Norephinephrine regulates how quickly neurons fire and transmit information in the brain. When depression comes on suddenly, these two chemicals drop suddenly as well.

Nobody knows why that happens. In fact, science doesn't even know how depression meds that adjust these levels work, and many do stop working once you've been on them awhile. Many depressed patients have to be constantly changing up their meds.

Still, if you have to have a mental illness, depression is the most treatable one you could possibly have. I was diagnosed with cyclic major depression seven years ago. My mother had it, her mother had it, and both of my sisters have it.

I'll be fine for months and then, bang. It's back. I took antidepressants for four years and they did help me, but they also spiked my blood pressure and got more and more expensive until I could not afford them even with insurance picking up much of the tab.So I tapered off of them on my own and now I take OTC St. John's Wort (it costs about $12 for a large bottle and has been shown to be as effective as antidepressant medications for mild to moderate depression) and melatonin ( an OTC hormone supplement that helps to regulate sleep patterns).

It's going OK, but if I needed to I'd go back on meds in a heartbeat. Once I start asking questions like the one you posed here, it's a pretty good sign (for me at least) that my depression is back. Depressed people tend to get very introspective and start to isolate, thinking that they can figure this thing out and fix it.

It feels like if you can just find the cause then you can find the cure, but that isn't even rational. For instance, you might be able to find what caused a case of cancer, but you'd still have cancer afterward and you'd still have to treat it and deal with it. If you have depression, it's a lot like having diabetes--you can't fix it by figuring it out, but you can learn to recognize the symptoms and respond to them in helpful ways.

Here's what helps me: 1) Don't isolate. You will WANT to isolate.It will be your strongest impulse. Do the opposite of what you want.

Make a therapy appointment, go to a support group, go out walking, call a friend, get out and see a movie, walk your dog, anything to get you out of yourself and around other people. Isolation is makes depression worse and increases the likelihood that you will harm yourself one day. 2) Exercise.

You won't want to do this either but make yourself do it at the first sign of depressed feelings. Then exercise daily before you feel down. Walking is easy and anyone can do it.

Half an hour of brisk walking per day has been shown to reduce mild to moderate depression as well as antidepressant meds.3) Avoid sweet and starchy foods and eat protein and fresh produce instead. Sweet foods temporarily relieve depression because they boost serotonin levels. The problem is, they also make your blood sugar crash in about two hours so that you feel even worse than before you ate them.4) Make a doctor's appointment if your depression doesn't lift in three days.

Depression is a serious illness that increases your risk of heart attack, stroke, cancer, and suicide. Again, most depressed people don't want to do this because of the stigma attached to the disease--plus, the depression itself makes you want to keep it a secret--but that's not a good idea.5) Ignore people who tell you just snap out of it. They are ignorant in a literal sense--they literally are ignoring mounds of research and medical facts.

They can only hurt you and make you feel worse. Depression is a pain in the rump but you are in good company. Tons of good people have this disease.

Some of the best writers on earth struggle or have struggled with horrible depression.It doesn't mean you are weak or self-indulgent, it just is what it is. Depression can't always be cured but you can learn to manage it. Good luck!

As someone who has experience with this, I'll say yes it can hit you quickly and seemingly without warning. You can be having a good day or a good week and all of a sudden you feel like you're back at square one sitting in the dark all alone. For every sufferer there are triggers or stressors that can set you off again.

If you've been through counselling you might have identified those triggers or you've helped indentify them yourself. Once you understand what has set you off you can go a ways to getting better again. It's important to understand yourself, to know what has been most upsetting.

If you are female you might be 'lucky' and know that your natural cycle is something to take into account. "lucky" because its a way of tracking your moods and then you know if and when it might hit you. If you have depression from other causes ( for example work stress ) then you understand that those causes are going to be around you and might trigger a reaction.

Don't be surprised if you get depressed quickly when faced with those triggers. That's a self preservation mechanism, its trying to protect you from harm, or what your head considers harmful - it can be a silly little thing, it can be a serious thing, its irrelevant. What matters is that you recognise what's happening and get back into your routine quickly as well.

For example, if I feel depressed or feel like I'm not 100% mentally healthy I garden and I'm active outside. I might walk up to do the shopping instead of drive, I'll sweep the path outside my house, I'll sit in the sun and weed the garden, anything to get outside in the sunlight and active. Once you get your mind back into gear don't beat yourself up about having a bad day ( that's not helping :) Be positive that you know yourself and are working towards a remedy.

I've linked the best website I know about Depression, its the beyondblue site listed first below. It has everything you need to understand and work through every day, be they good days or bad days .... Be well, get on with the little things and the big stuff will sort itself out... and have a laugh ...a pic to help you on your way :)

Depression can come on suddenly for a variety of reasons. Drug use, death of family or friend, stress, or just simply a chemical imbalance in the brain. If you are experiencing depression I would contact your local phychologist or phychiatrist, or if you don't have insurance you can call your local health department that will refer you no or low cost treatment.

How timely. I just got hit by a wave, and was just asking myself, "Why am I depressed? " Usually, I can pinpoint the reason.

Problem - once I've identified the core of the issue and it's on a conscious vs. subconscious level, I get more depressed. Anxiety is another thing. Pinpointing the source does help me on that one.

But I think the key to relief of depression "spasms" is being able to really work out the situation. Since, at least for me, that rarely happens, I just try to deal with "Why am I depressed" and "This is why I'm depressed" and "Now I'm even more depressed! " I admit to falling back on my prescription meds when all else fails.

I really hope this is a rhetorical question and that you are not suffering. :0(.

Depression hurts not only you but those who love you. It is a proven illness and when it rears it's ugly head it can be just heart breaking! Depression and the different types of depression all work about the same.

A certain thing can trigger it. But mostly what trigger's it is lack of money. You can say it's something someone did or said, but when it comes right down to it, if you had money, a means of doing something, the depression wouldn't be so bad or so strong.

I find a good way, even when broke, to get over depression (being bipolar, I know this trick) is to look at a pretty color, a bright color, like yellow. Have it in various parts of your home. It's a mood lifter.

Also, music, certain types of music calm depression. Certain kinds of music can make you feel lighter. My favorite is anything by Elton John.

And last but not least, prayer helps so much! Leave your troubles, your depression in the hands of God and he will fix them, it.

Without asking God to come into your life, a person(s) will always have depression and negativity. With God, we learn that... there is no fear, no hatred, no depression. Invite God into your life and all things will change for you.Dianemcgill.

I don't believe depression is a state of being imposed upon us by outside influences. Rather, it is a willful decision to be depressed; to incessantly relive a tragic moment. We force ourselves to constantly re-experience an emotional tragedy; imposing thoughts of sadness, despair and frustration on ourselves that otherwise wouldn't be there.In my mind depression is an irrational state of being, just like rage.

As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of, "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." You cannot rise out of sadness and depression by being depressed, you must find something to be happy about, something to take your mind away from the depression.

That is a willful decision. Some people will be in a state of deep depression for months or years on end and then miraculously awake, as if from a bad dream. Inspired by some insignificant event or a deep realization of their state, they awaken.

But you choose to awaken. So, to answer your question, depression can also work in the reverse. Rather than decide to awaken, we convince ourselves to live in the tragedy and become depressed from an otherwise happy or acceptable state of mind.

Depression doesn't exist. It's only in your mind, because you are unsatisfied. The answer is easy, enjoy what you have and don't think about what you can't have at the moment.

Life is wonderful, you need to concentrate your self on this concept. Think about it.

There are thousands of reasons for this thing, but the depression come on suddenly because of this reason Explaining you with an example:- You started a company , Did a lots of hard work, You put all your investments in that, You were sure for it to be successful, but Something wrong happened and company failed. Now Mental Stress leads to Depression, because , you will get stressed by the fact that your company has failed, by the time your gf also left you and there started spme financial issues, You will be so much stressed that you will came into depression suddenly. So in simple words , Mental stress leads to Sudden depression, another example is when kids fails in exam , they commit suicides because of very heavy stress leading to Sudden depression.

There may be many reasons for depressions. But first let's us discuss what is Depression , Depression is a common mental disorder that presents with depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, low energy, and poor concentration.(by WHO) But why it arises , the main reasons of Depressions are biological, genetic, and environmental . Genetic Factors Scientists believe genetic factors play a role in some depressions.

If one identical twin suffers from depression or manic-depressive disorder, the other twin has a 70 percent chance of also having the illness Biological Causes Additional research data indicate that people suffering from depression have imbalances of neurotransmitters, natural substances that allow brain cells to communicate with one another. Environmental Situations Certain environmental situations, such as stress or breakup of important attachments, also may precipitate depression, especially in vulnerable persons. Some tips - always try to be busy in work and never stay alone at home or any where , make friends and think posotive , always have the thinking that all is well.

According to an article I have read at washingtonpost. Com, the sudden shift in moods is "Cyclothymia". This disorder which is referred as cyclothymic disorder is known as a milder cousin of bipolar disorder and like bipolar disorder, cyclothymia has high and low phases.

The highs are not as high and the lows are not as low but it can be crippling. It is also a risk factor for bipolar disease with up to 50% of those with cyclothymia will end up developing the bipolar disorder and major depression is considered a high risk. The upbeat phase features symptoms like elevated mood, increased self-esteem, decreased need for sleep, racing thoughts, an increase in goal-directed activity and excessive involvement in pleasurable activities.

These symptoms can last for four days which then alternate with periods of mildly depressive symptoms like sadness, pessimism, fatigue, guilt feeling, trouble concentrating and changes in sleep or appetite. The person who is diagnosed with this disorder experience an alternate of these two phases for at least two years. The Amercan Psychiatric Association said that an estimate of 2.2 million U.S.Adults have cyclothymia, about half as many as those wth bipolar disorder.

Bipolar conditions gained clinical prominence because of the introduction two years ago of Lamictal (lamotrigine) an anticonvulsant drug that is proven effectve in delaying mood swings specifically the depressive ones that are associated with bipolar disorder.

All of you are awsome I will not say more . I must say that this is true that stress comes all of a sudden but we can prevent from this . Now the question appears how?

Simple first we have to find out why it comes? It comes when we thought about something and it doesn't happens or if we doesn't think about that it appears like we don't even think about death but when it comes we become depressed so for preventing from depression we should also think about bad possibilities in life and should not expect so much from any one.

The World Health Organization(WHO) defines Depression as follows which I feel as the right one. ---quote--- Depression is a common mental disorder that presents with depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, low energy, and poor concentration. These problems can become chronic or recurrent and lead to substantial impairments in an individual's ability to take care of his or her everyday responsibilities.

--end quote-- --quote-- Research over the past decade strongly suggests a genetic link to depressive disorders, depression can run in families. Bad life experiences and certain personality patterns such as difficulty handling stress, low self-esteem, or extreme pessimism about the future can increase the chances of becoming depressed. Depression can be very serious.It has been linked to poor school performance, truancy, alcohol and drug abuse, running away, and feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness.

--end quote.

I have manic depression. Depression may be a "chemical happening," that is where you suddenly have a lack of proper hormones and feel sad, or you have a reaction to what is going on around you. Sometimes you know why you become sad and sometimes you don't.

We are complex beings. I also agree that there is a spiritual component at play here. However even people who are at peace within their spiritual life can become sad and depressed.

The main thing to do if you are depressed is to keep moving and soon it will go away. It is when you allow the depression to freeze you that you can have a real problem. Good Luck!

Oh, by the way, I don't agree that you can avoid depression by "willing it away. " Don't make the mistake of thinking that it isn't a normal part of life, it is. You won't like it but it sounds to me like you are coping fine.