What are Triggers and How Do They Affect Depression?

There are many triggers for depression. It's important to know your depression triggers to manage your depression successfully.

Gold Standard for Treating Depression (part 22)

Triggers are the number one environmental cause of depression. They can send you into a deep depression overnight or cause you to stay depressed for years. There are many triggers you can avoid in order to manage the illness and though you may think you have no control over many of the depression triggers in your life, you will probably have to make at least some changes in order to find relief from depression symptoms.

Common Depression Triggers

• Argumentative, negative and aggressive people (if this describes you, reducing your depression symptoms can help with the problem)
• Stressful work- especially work with constantly changing hours
• Travel - especially travel with time changes.
• Relationship problems
• Non-supportive family members and friends
• Drug and alcohol use
• World events
• Isolation
• Medication side-effects

You probably have your own list. If you continually walk into the triggers you know affect your depression, success in managing and hopefully ending depression is less likely than if you avoid the triggers, no matter how difficult this may be. Think of one thing from the above list that you can change today. Or maybe you have one of your own that you have wanted to avoid.

You do have choices when it comes to ending depression. Looking for and managing the triggers that cause stress and unhappiness can significantly reduce your depression symptoms. This an especially powerful tool if you currently get less than optimal relief from medications or can't take them at all due to side effects.

video: Depression Treatment Interviews w/Julie Fast