The Power of Positive Thinking May Not Be Enough to Overcome Depression

Many people think of depression as being caused by something that can be identified: a romantic breakup, the loss of a job, the death of a close friend or family member, and so on. Such events can certainly bring on feelings of depression, and they are also highly stressful. But clinical depression can be a whole different thing. It’s not logical. It makes you feel out of control and hopeless, and it’s not easily “fixed.” A severely depressed state may be the result of stress that doesn’t ease―in other words, when it moves in and decides to stay awhile. If unabated for a long period of time, stress can disrupt hormones in a serious enough way that it leads to depression. In fact, the interplay between hormones and mood is enormous. Imbalances in thyroid, cortisol, adrenaline, estrogen, and testosterone are all capable of disrupting mood and bringing on depression. To ease depression, you may need more than “thinking positively.” Read more…