From betterhelp.com
Medically Reviewed By: Debra Halseth, LCSW
An episode of depression can occur suddenly, even when things in life seem fine. While depression has potential causes, understanding what triggers it is vital to maintaining good mental health. An episode may leave you feeling tired, unworthy, and make things more challenging to complete. When you can spot signs of depression within yourself, it raises awareness of the status of your mental health, and you can identify depression in others.
Assess recent thoughts and actions
Assessing your mental health is essential when determining possible triggers. Think about thoughts and actions that led to you feeling depressed. Sometimes people get so busy living day to day they may not realize a situation or circumstance triggered their depressive mood. Things around you, such as people, places, ideas, and events, all influence your mental health differently. Journal writing may help with getting things off your chest or reflecting on previous occasions. If you keep a mental health journal, review your past entries for clues. Maybe you’ll notice a change in your mood or thoughts that could be a starting point for your assessment. Some may not find a cause for their depressive mood. Sometimes things that are out of your control is the culprit.
Get to know common triggers
When living with depression, it is essential to understand possible triggers. People with a history of depression are more likely to experience another episode. Sometimes living situations with a family member or things going on at work may lead to feeling depressed. For some, the feeling may be gradual, which is why some may not recognize depression is settling in. Common depression triggers include the following:
Life changes: A life transition can affect your mood, even if the change is positive. Life is about change, but depression can make it challenging to accept when you’ve gotten comfortable with the way things were before the change. At times, a life transition can have a dramatic effect on a person’s mental health. Sometimes transitions are stressful and take time to adjust. Maybe you’re getting used to a new job, working with new people, or living in a different neighborhood. Physical changes such as menopause or learning about a medical condition that will alter your daily routine may bring depressive symptoms. An unexpected change, such as a loss of any kind, can be as difficult if not more as a positive change.
Feeling stressed and overwhelmed: Many people live a stressful life. Stress is commonly experienced in different forms, and it can have a significant effect on your mental health. Whether you are dealing with pressure from your job, family, or relationships, it can take a toll on you mentally and physically. A mental health study shows evidence that many depressed people experience hormone changes due to stress.
Newly diagnosed medical condition or illness: Different medical conditions may contribute to feeling depressed. Receiving news of diagnosis or even medicines used to treat the condition may trigger depressive symptoms. Your mental health may be a contributing factor to your recovery. Patients are encouraged to talk with their doctors about medication concerns, including side effects.
Financial issues: A common trigger that may lead to depression is money problems. It is also common among people experiencing substance abuse. There are different ways money affects a person’s situation. People earning low income may struggle to provide for their families. Those making more may struggle with meeting financial obligations or feel they need to achieve a particular lifestyle to be accepted by others. People may experience a reduction in income or sudden financial loss that could set in motion a depression cycle.
Job loss: It is challenging to grasp the concept of losing your job, especially if you’ve had it for many years. Losing your job may bring a lot of stress and uncertainty. When you have bills piling up, a family to take care of, or even a medical condition, the situation may seem unbearable. Even the thought of starting a new career path may seem daunting, but it depends on how you look at it. It may be an opportunity to go after something you’ve always wanted to do.
Weight changes: It is common for people to put on weight as they get older, but some may not realize how their eating habits have changed. If your lifestyle has changed or you’re going through a life transition, your diet may be affected. A depressed person may become more self-conscious about their weight and appearance. Such thoughts can hurt your mental health. Eating less is also a trigger, with many not having an appetite when their emotions are low.
Poor eating habits: Poor dieting may affect your mental health and trigger depression when your body isn’t getting essential nutrients. Some people may find it difficult to eat proper meals daily or have other people they care for while putting someone else’s needs before their own. A busy lifestyle that leaves little time to sit and enjoy a meal may trigger depressive moods. A diet high in sugar or carbs may give you energy temporarily, but without the right balance of nutrients, you’re left feeling tired quickly.
Substance abuse: Abusing substances such as alcohol or drugs may not only trigger depression but put your mental health in jeopardy. People may drink alcohol to lift their spirits, but the feeling is short-lived. Substance abuse involves developing a dependency on alcohol, drugs, or both. The situation is more complicated when a person doesn’t recognize they have an addiction or won’t admit to it. Not knowing the substance abuse can make depression worse.
Lack of sex: Whether you have good relations with your partner or spouse, a lack of sexual interest may trigger your depression. You may want to consider ruling out other circumstances, such as medical problems or physical health concerns. Sometimes antidepressant medications may have this as a side effect. People with a history of substance abuse may experience issues with sexual performance. You can review concerns with your doctor or ask about changing your medication, so your mental health continues in the right direction.
Lack of sleep: When you get little sleep, it affects your mental health. Many feel fatigued, have problems concentrating, and tend to be more moody than usual. Maintaining a regular sleep schedule is beneficial to your mental health and may help prevent symptoms from getting worse. Talking with your doctor or therapist may help with gaining other solutions to help you sleep better at night. Sleep disorders are common in people with substance abuse.
Rumination: Dwelling on pain or sorrow from an event is detrimental to your mental health. Sometimes people do this and exaggerate the situation. It could lead to negative actions such as substance abuse. Others may develop an obsession that makes daily living difficult. Rumination is a trigger because it may impair how a person’s emotions respond to an event or circumstance. It is normal to experience sadness and grief in life, but some need additional support to handle such scenarios to have realistic expectations beyond their pain.
Managing your triggers
Maintaining your mental health and understand potential risk factors are essential to managing triggers. Once you are aware of what triggers your depression, you can determine the next steps toward a solution. Even though you may not be in control of how triggers occur, you can take action to reduce its emotional effects.
Managing your triggers may require guidance from your doctor or mental health specialist. While you may have a general idea of how your symptoms develop, working with a mental health expert puts them into perspective to learn from them. Some triggers may have a more substantial effect on your mental health than others. Guidance from your doctor or specialist helps place focus on essential elements of your mental health to ensure a favorable outcome for treatment.
The same is true for people with substance abuse concerns. A person with mental health concerns like depression is more likely to develop problems with substance abuse. A person with a substance abuse addiction may have depression, anxiety, or other mental health concern. If your triggers are not addressed, the quality of your well-being is at stake. Depression symptoms may become chronic, making most areas of your life difficult to navigate.
Here are additional tips on how to manage your triggers:
Learn about comprehensive treatment programs and assessments to help you learn more about the status of your mental health. Such programs may help address other concerns such as substance abuse.
If you have a preexisting mental health concern or substance abuse addiction, contact your doctor or specialist as soon as possible. Changes or adjustments may be necessary for treatment plans already in place.
Make positive changes to your daily routine to boost your mood. Try to get on a regular sleep schedule. Practice self-care by making time for yourself to do something you enjoy.
Learn stress management an essential element of good mental health includes how to handle stressful situations. Instead of turning to alcohol and increasing the risk of substance abuse, try meditation, forms of exercise, or deep breathing techniques.
Engage in productive activities such as exercise or a hobby. Consider learning fun and interesting methods to help you cope instead of turning to alcohol or drugs to reduce substance abuse
Create a plan to prevent or avoid triggers. It may include noting which triggers are most likely to influence symptoms. You can talk to your mental health specialist to get additional guidance.
You can join a mental health support group to get support and ideas from peers on managing triggers. There are also support groups and forums for people dealing with substance abuse. Coping with mental health concerns such as depression or anxiety may involve advice and perspective from peers. Connecting with people who can relate to your struggles is significant. You don’t feel so lonely, and you may learn useful tips on managing your mental health.
People shy away from talking about their mental health because it can be difficult. Fortunately, some options make this more natural and more comfortable for you. Besides mental health and substance abuse support groups, you can work with a mental health therapist or a trained counselor. There are options to participate in an online therapy session where you can talk about your thoughts and feelings about depression, substance abuse, and more. These sessions are private and confidential, so you can open up and share what you are feeling with an understanding expert that wants to help.
People with a previous history of a mental health concern or substance abuse problem are likely to experience a relapse. Symptoms may return when actions or changes in your life trigger them. You don’t have to deal with depression triggers alone. Get help right away when detecting triggers to lessen their impact on your mental health.**
