And there's no laboratory test that a doctor can perform to tell if a person is depressed. It has a physical and often a genetic basis. And it is more than just the normal sad reaction that occurs when you experience a disappointment, a loss, or significant stress. The good news is that treatment with antidepressant drugs, psychotherapy, and other therapies can lead to recovery in the majority of depressed patients. Like many disorders today, researchers believe that depression develops through a combination of genetic, psychological, and environmental factors.
Depression is a biochemical disorder.
These neurotransmitters are called serotonin and norepinephrine. Severely depressed individuals don't have enough serotonin and norepinephrine in their brains, so messages don't get relayed to nerve cells in the way they are supposed to. However, when you're severely depressed, a year or more can seem like a lifetime. If you have a parent or sibling who has major depression, your risk of experiencing severe depression yourself is up to three times higher. A poor diet For many people, these triggers produce a mild to moderate case of the blues.