Process - Physician - Fraser Health Authority

WHAT CAUSES DEPRESSION?PhysiologyDepression is accompanied by a variety of physicalsymptoms. One of the most powerful physical changesaccompanying depression is impaired sleep. Usually,this involves an inability to get enough sleep, whetherbecause the person has difficulty falling asleep, repeatedlywakes during the night, or awakens much too early.Sometimes the person may sleep too much, caused bya desire simply to hide away in sleep or a fatigue sopervasive that there never seems to be enough sleep.When sleep is “non-restorative” – that is, the persondoes not awake feeling refreshed and rested – itbecomes harder to face the day and deal with problems.Depressed people often feel that they lack energy andare exhausted by everyday activities.One theory of depression is that it is caused by changesin brain function, a “chemical imbalance”. There isresearch showing that, for some depressed people,certain neurochemicals in the brain are less active.It is unclear, however, whether these changes in brainchemistry commonly cause depression. All we know isthat depression is often associated with changes inbrain chemistry.The physiological changes of depression make it harderto cope with life problems or even to follow the stepsof a depression management program like this one.Antidepressant medication can often be quite helpfulin restoring sleep and regaining your sense of physicalenergy. It can allow you to actively learn and try outthe new skills needed to overcome depression.SELF-CARE DEPRESSION PROGRAM11 ANTIDEPRESSANT SKILLS WORKBOOK