For some teens, undiagnosed learning

 

For some teens, undiagnosed learning disabilities may block school success, hormonal changes may affect mood, or physical illness may present challenges or setbacks. With or without the genetics for depression, any of these can set the stage for depression.
Substance abuse can cause chemical changes in the brain that affect mood - alcohol and some drugs are known to have depressant effects. The negative social and personal consequences of substance abuse can also lead to severe unhappiness and depression.
Certain medical conditions can affect hormone balance and therefore have an effect on mood. Some conditions, such as hypothyroidism, are known to cause a depressed mood in some people. When these medical conditions are diagnosed and treated by a doctor, the depression usually disappears.
What Happens in the Brain When Someone Is Depressed?
Depression involves the brain's delicate chemistry - specifically, it involves chemicals called neurotransmitters. These chemicals assist in transmitting messages between nerve cells in the brain.
Certain neurotransmitters regulate mood. When they are not available in sufficient quantities, the result can be depression.
The brain's response to stressful events, such as any of those described above, may alter the balance of neurotransmitters and result in depression.
Sometimes, a person may experience depression without any particular sad or stressful event that they can point to. People who have a genetic predisposition to depression may be more prone to the imbalance of neurotransmitter activity that is part of depression.
Medications that are used to treat depression work by helping to restore the proper balance of neurotransmitters.