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CHRISTIAN
SINGLES
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CHRISTIAN
DATING ADVICE
CHRISTIAN SINGLES : GUIDE TO
ENDING LONELINESS AND DEPRESSION Cont.
Mania
Abnormal or excessive elation
Unusual irritability
Decreased need for sleep
Grandiose notions
Increased talking
Racing thoughts
Increased sexual desire
Markedly increased energy
Poor judgment
Inappropriate social behavior
CAUSES OF DEPRESSION
Some types of depression run in families, suggesting that a
biological vulnerability can be inherited. This seems to be the case
with bipolar disorder. Studies of families in which members of each
generation develop bipolar disorder found that those with the illness
have a somewhat different genetic makeup than those who do not get ill.
However, the reverse is not true: Not everybody with the genetic makeup
that causes vulnerability to bipolar disorder will have the illness.
Apparently additional factors, possibly stresses at home, work, or
school, are involved in its onset.
In some families, major depression also seems to occur generation
after generation. However, it can also occur in people who have no
family history of depression. Whether inherited or not, major depressive
disorder is often associated with changes in brain structures or brain
function.
People who have low self-esteem, who consistently view themselves and
the world with pessimism or who are readily overwhelmed by stress, are
prone to depression. Whether this represents a psychological
predisposition or an early form of the illness is not clear.
In recent years, researchers have shown that physical changes in the
body can be accompanied by mental changes as well. Medical illnesses
such as stroke, a heart attack, cancer, Parkinson's disease, and
hormonal disorders can cause depressive illness, making the sick person
apathetic and unwilling to care for his or her physical needs, thus
prolonging the recovery period. Also, a serious loss, difficult
relationship, financial problem, or any stressful (unwelcome or even
desired) change in life patterns can trigger a depressive episode. Very
often, a combination of genetic, psychological, and environmental
factors is involved in the onset of a depressive disorder. Later
episodes of illness typically are precipitated by only mild stresses, or
none at all.
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