4 Negative Environmental Factors that Can Trigger Depression

Major depressive disorder, or most commonly known as clinical depression is a mood disorder that affects a person’s behavior and even the way he/she handles his/her emotions. When ignored, this can result in significant physical and mental problems.

This condition should be taken seriously, and people should eradicate the taboo of getting psychological care.

Although there are already numerous clinical treatments available, cases have still risen to 264 million people worldwide based on WHO’s statistical data. Many factors come into play that trigger depression. It might be through genes, but it also can be through the environment such as the following:

Environmental pollution

If one thinks that pollution can only defect the physical body, there are actually studies that link environmental pollution to mental instability such as bipolar disorder and depression. This proves how pollution can adversely affect people even if they are not clinically diagnosed with depression.

Researchers have found out that air pollution affects the mental health of people. The accumulative increase of nitrogen oxide, mainly from diesel-fueled vehicles, can hike the risks for common mental disorders by 39%. From the pollution coming from tire and brake dust and burning fuels, risks can go high up to 18%.

Water pollution can also contribute to risks for anxiety and depression. The pollution comes from oil spills and contamination of water bodies from manufacturer’s wastes and unused medicinal drugs that are not responsibly disposed of.

Guidelines to properly dispose of medications are discussed in buzzrx.com Prescription Medication Disposal Safety Guide.

Going back to childhood past

The environment during the childhood stage is essential as a determinant for someone having mental instability. Stressful home, bad parenting, separated parents and experiencing physical and sexual abuse to any family member are only some of the many contributing environmental situations that significantly impact a child and bring these while growing up.

Some theories explain the involvement of the childhood environment as a possible determinant of depression. First, those children who lived a chaotic and unhappy life while growing up tend to adjust harder to the changes happening in their lives during adolescence and adulthood. There is also one that tells that the children might have a problem in emotional development or are already emotionally broken, making them vulnerable to depression.

The result of this unhealthy environment for children can lead them to have low self-esteem, feeling weak themselves, and feel dependent on other people to feel comfortable. What’s worse that might happen is that they will keep on embracing these attitudes until they grow up and might hinder personal development.

Substance and liquor abuse

Drugs and other substances are quite helpful for aiding sickness that people might have, such as medicines and even alcohol. However, when these are misused, especially when abused, there are significant adverse effects on the body, including mental health. There are chemicals present in those drugs that can cause chemical imbalances in the brain.

Approximately 30 percent of those who irresponsibly take drugs and alcohol have depression. Moreover, research shows that people diagnosed with mental illness consume, at some point of their life, 69 percent of the whole nation’s alcohol and 84 percent of cocaine.

This act is environmental because when highly exposed people surround one to these substances, peer pressure might push him to indulge himself in this kind of thing. An environment with irresponsible drug users and alcoholic people will affect everyone in the social sphere.

Continuous involvement in stressful situations

Stress may be a positive thing when one takes it as motivation. However, not all people can do that. Although looking into psychological mechanisms can help cope with it properly, it is undeniable that simple stress can possibly turn into depression.

Stress distracts one in his coping strategies that lead to further mood problems, which is a lowkey one of this depressive order’s symptoms. That can create further stress due to mood changes. Eventually, that can rattle relationships with a partner, friends, and even family. This is when unhealthy coping comes in, such as alcoholism.

Takeaway

Knowing these harmful environmental factors is crucial to somehow avoid having this depressive disorder that devastates many lives. This way, it can lessen the burden and the heart’s weight to handle the early symptoms well. However, the best option is through a psychologist or psychiatrist for a full recovery.