Learned Helplessness and Depression

How is depression related to learned helplessness?

Learned helplessness, is a condition of a human being or an animal in which it has learned to behave helplessly, even when the opportunity is restored for it to help itself by avoiding an unpleasant or harmful circumstance to which it has been subjected. It is also a model used to explain depression in human beings.

There are three main theories of how depression is caused (Environmental, Cognitive and Biological). According to the cognitive model of depression, depression is caused due to the shaping of our behavior directly by beliefs and thoughts. This theory bases the causes of depression in feeling, emotions and believes. Depressive symptoms result when people's attributions for external events are based on maladaptive beliefs and attitudes.

A direct relationship exists between learned helplessness and depression. Learned helplessness is viewed to be a cause of mental illnesses such as depression derived from the lack of control over the outcome of life situations. The feeling of helplessness will cause for a person to enter in a state of sadness and unwillingness to overcome problems, leading into a loop of depression due to maladaptive attitudes. Learned Helplessness also is a contributor to the cognitive theory because it explains that feelings that come from the state of pessimism will cause for a person to feel depressed, sad and in a continuous state of helplessness. Learned helplessness will also affect a person because it will cause the person to not be able to surpass his problems and to feel in a death end, specially feeling there is nothing the person can do to overcome depression. Finally we can say that learned helplessness is potentially a main cause of depression and it has a direct relation with the cognitive theory due to the fact depression is linked to the feelings and emotions of a person.

Video of Depression

A video to understand the difference between sadness and depression



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeZCmqePLzM

Cognitive Theory of Depression

Who does the cognitive factors of life affect depression?
According to the cognitive model of depression, depression is caused due to the shaping of our behavior directly by beliefs and thoughts. This model has vast scientific evidence to believe that maladaptive cognitions preced disorders as depression. Depressive symptoms result when people's attributions for external
events are based on maladaptive beliefs and attitudes.

The cognitive model of depression is based on three specific ideas.First the negative view of self, the world, and the future. Secondly the pattern of maladaptive thoughts and beliefs. Last the cognitive errors which is the faulty thinking accompanied by negative and unrealistic representations of reality.
This three ideas combine to construct the base of the model that is thought to explain wy people become depressed.
http://www1.appstate.edu/~hillrw/Dep%20Cognitive/Webpage.html






















http://media.swarthmore.edu/bulletin/wp-content/uploads/2009/October/14_depression.jpg
http://www.mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk/research/emotion/cemhp/images/depression.jpg

Enviromantal Theory of Depression

How does the enviroment influence depression?
Depression can be directly influnced by enviromental factors that affect a persons's live. Things like financial problems, the breakup of a relationship, or the death of a loved can contribute to cause depression. Changes in life can cause sorrow however such sadness can cause bigger problems, like for example depression.
You can become depressed after changes in your life, like starting a new job, graduating from school, or getting married.This changes of the enviroment are thought to cause depression especially in vulnerable persons. It is important for a person to learn to fight the problems and not to let the changes in the envriment to affect our emotions.
http://www.healthyplace.com/depression/main/causes-of-depression/menu-id-943/

Biological Theory Of Depression

How is Biology related to depression?
Scientist have discovered that people with depression have diffrences in the brain in relantionship with people that do not suffer from depression. For instance, the hippocampus appears to be smaller in people with a history of depression than in those who've never been depressed. A smaller hippocampus has fewer serotonin receptors. Serotonin is a calming brain chemical known as a neurotransmitter that allows communication between nerves in the brain and the body. It’s also thought that the neurotransmitter norepinephrine may be involved in depression.
The stress hormone cortisol is produced in excess in depressed people. Scientists believe that cortisol has a toxic effect on the hippocampus. One thing is for sure, that depression is a condition that is created by the contribution of many factors. Some of the main causes may be biological facotrs such as the size of the hippocampus.