Depression: What Causes It and How to Overcome It

Depression is a widespread mood disorder that impacts countless individuals. While symptoms may be fleeting, depression can sometimes persist for years, deeply affecting one’s quality of life. Like anxiety, depression arises from various underlying causes and presents with diverse symptoms. It is vital to seek professional assistance if depression becomes chronic or severe.

What is depression?

Depression is a serious mental health condition that affects emotions, thoughts, and behaviours. It extends far beyond fleeting sadness or low mood, manifesting as a persistent state of despair, hopelessness, and loss of interest in activities once enjoyed.

Clients of Radiant Flow have reported physical symptoms such as heaviness or tightness in the chest, piercing chest sensations, and even physical weakness.

Depression disrupts daily life and strains relationships, making it essential to identify its signs early and seek appropriate support.

Who can get depression?

Depression spares no one. It can strike anyone, regardless of age, gender, race, or background. As one of the most prevalent mental health disorders globally, it affects millions.

While depression can occur in anyone, certain factors heighten the risk, including a family history of the condition, traumatic experiences, chronic medical issues, and prolonged stress. However, it is crucial to recognise that even those without these risk factors may still develop depression.

Women receive depression diagnoses more frequently than men, likely due to societal and cultural stigmas that discourage men from seeking help for emotional struggles.

What are the types of depression?

Depression is not a one-size-fits-all condition. There are several types of depressive disorders, each with unique characteristics:

1. Major Depressive Disorder (MDD): The most common form, characterised by persistent feelings of sadness, loss of interest, low self-worth and other emotional and physical symptoms for at least two weeks.
2. Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia): A chronic form of depression where symptoms are less severe than MDD but last for at least two years.
3. Bipolar Disorder: This involves alternating periods of depression and mania (extreme highs). It was formerly known as manic depression.
4. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): A type of depression that occurs at a specific time of year, usually during winter when daylight is limited.
5. Postpartum Depression: A severe, long-lasting form of depression experienced by some women after giving birth. Also known as the “baby blues”, it manifests as a feeling of sadness and emptiness.
6. Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD): A severe form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) with symptoms of irritability, depression, and anxiety in the weeks leading up to menstruation.

Many depressive disorders exist and new ones continue to emerge. However, it’s crucial not to become overly focused on diagnosing and categorising your particular type of depression. What truly matters is recognising that you may have depression by identifying whether you exhibit common symptoms associated with the condition.

What are the common symptoms of depression?

The symptoms of depression vary widely but often include:

• Persistent sadness, emptiness, or hopelessness
• Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed
• Fatigue or decreased energy
• Significant changes in appetite or weight
• Difficulty sleeping or oversleeping
• Restlessness or irritability
• Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
• Feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt
• Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide

These symptoms may appear differently in different people. For instance, men may display anger or irritability, while women may experience feelings of guilt or sadness more intensely.

The symptoms additionally overlap with other conditions which makes it challenging to put a finger on what health issue you’re afflicted with.

How to diagnose or test for depression?

Depression manifests through a range of symptoms, so no single test can definitively diagnose it. Instead, diagnosing depression requires a comprehensive evaluation by a healthcare professional, such as a psychiatrist or psychologist.

This process may include the following:

• Clinical Interview: The doctor or therapist will inquire about your symptoms (eg. thoughts, emotions, appetite), medical history, and any family history of mental health issues.
• Physical Examination: To rule out other medical conditions that might cause depressive symptoms, such as thyroid disorders or vitamin deficiencies.
• Psychological Assessment: This may involve completing questionnaires or rating scales to measure the severity of depressive symptoms.

Depression cannot be diagnosed through a blood test or imaging scan, making an accurate assessment of mental health history and current symptoms crucial.

It’s important to note that hypnotherapists do not diagnose depression; instead, they focus on identifying symptoms to uncover the root cause. At Radiant Flow, hypnotherapists use techniques like inner child therapy to pinpoint the triggering event and neutralise the associated emotions. As a result, the symptoms recede alongside the underlying cause.

What causes depression?

The exact cause of depression remains unclear, but it is generally believed to result from a combination of biological, environmental, and psychological factors.

Clinical observations at Radiant Flow suggest that, on a physiological level, toxins and pathogens are primary contributors to depression, while mental trauma plays a significant role on the psychological front:

• Toxic Heavy Metals: A brain free from obstruction operates efficiently, serving as a superhighway for electrical signals. However, when toxic heavy metals accumulate in the brain, they disrupt these signals, leading to a range of unexplained symptoms. Modern medical tools often fail to detect these subclinical levels of metals in the body.
• Pathogens: Low-grade viral infections, such as Epstein-Barr, can thrive on these toxic metals, releasing neurotoxic waste that floods the brain. This waste interferes with neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, contributing to depression.
• Stressful Life Events: Traumatic experiences, such as the loss of a loved one, job loss, or divorce, can trigger depression by depleting neurotransmitters. This can cause depression that lingers long after the traumatic event has passed.

These secondary causes either stem from or exacerbate the primary factors outlined earlier:

• Hereditary Factors: A family history of depression increases the risk of developing the condition, but this is not due to genetics as commonly believed. Instead, what is passed down are the toxins and pathogens from your parents, inherited from their parents, and so forth.
• Brain Chemistry: Imbalances in neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and dopamine, play a role in mood regulation and can contribute to depression. These imbalances often arise from one of the primary causes, namely psychological trauma and heavy loads of toxic heavy metals and pathogens.
• Hormonal Changes: Shifts in hormones, especially during puberty, pregnancy, or menopause, can trigger depression. Similarly, pregnancy and menstruation are other periods in a woman’s life when hormonal changes may lead to depression.
• Medical Conditions: Chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, heart disease, or cancer, are associated with higher rates of depression, often due to the increased burden of toxic metals and pathogens in the body.

What are the natural treatments for depression?

Professional treatment may be necessary depending on the root cause of the depression. Natural drug-free approaches are always best for alleviating symptoms of depression because they do no harm.

The commonly discussed methods for treating depression are:

• Exercise: Regular physical activity can boost mood by increasing endorphin levels.
• Sleep: Prioritising restful sleep and maintaining a regular sleep schedule can improve mood and energy levels.
• Social Support: Connecting with loved ones and participating in social activities can provide emotional support and reduce feelings of isolation.
• Mindfulness and Meditation: These practices promote relaxation and reduce stress, which can help manage depressive symptoms.

Here are some less conventional methods that have proven effective for Radiant Flow’s clients:

• Diet: Given the brain’s central role in depression, proper nourishment is essential. The Medical Medium nutrition protocols focus on healing the brain by removing toxic metals and eliminating harmful viruses.
• Supplements: The supplements recommended by the Medical Medium offer concentrated doses of herbs, minerals, and vitamins designed to expel harmful pathogens and support the body’s recovery from illness.
• Hypnotherapy: For those with a clear history of mental trauma, hypnotherapy can provide swift relief. This technique delves into the subconscious mind to revisit the trauma, neutralising the associated negative emotions.
• EFT Tapping: By tapping on specific meridian points while recalling distressing thoughts, emotions, and events, one can neutralise their effects, helping to overcome depression.
• Reiki: Human beings consist of physical, mental, and energetic layers. Reiki, like qigong and taiji, channels energy into the body’s energy field to correct imbalances, aiding in the healing process.
• Sound Healing and Sound Bath: With the body consisting of 70% water, sound vibrations can have a subtle yet tangible impact. Whether through a one-on-one sound healing session or a group sound bath, practitioners use sound bowls to produce vibrations that restore harmony and balance to the body, much like Reiki but using sound as the medium.