By Alena Gerst, LCSW | Founder, Director, Psychotherapist
Anyone can experience depression. Even if everything goes “right” and there is no prior history of mental illness in your family, nobody is immune to a depressive episode.
However, there are certain risk factors involved that can increase a person’s susceptibility to depression. That’s especially true for women, as vulnerability tends to increase during certain stages of life, and can occur in response to a specific challenging series of events, or unfortunately seem to come out of nowhere.
With that in mind, let’s cover some of the risk factors for depression in women. While these risk factors don’t “guarantee” you’ll develop depression or any other mental health issue, it’s important to know some of the potential risks so you can be proactive about your mental health and give yourself the best shot at getting “upstream” of a potential episode.
A Personal History
There is no “depression gene.” Just because someone in your family has struggled with depression doesn’t automatically mean you will, too.
However, a family history of depression can increase your risk of developing it, so it would be helpful if you can keep an eye on yourself for some of the signs that depression may be settling in. If you notice a change in your appetite, sleep patterns, if you are crying a lot, or feeling an unusual joyless sense of numbness, you may be showing signs of depression.
Stressful Life Events
Everyone experiences stressful life events. How you navigate them can depend on your coping skills, your support system, your self esteem, and frankly even the weather! Things like financial issues, grief, relationship challenges, or experiencing trauma can all cause so much stress that you develop feelings and symptoms of depression.
A lack of social support during these stressful life events can increase your risk even more. Depression and isolation tend to go hand-in-hand, and if you don’t have people in your corner helping you through things, it could contribute to depressive symptoms.
If you find you are feeling more lonely, declining invitations and outreach from your friends and pulling away, it’s time to check in with someone who cares about you or a professional to figure out what’s going on.
Hormonal Changes
There’s no denying that women go through more hormonal changes throughout life than men. Fluctuations during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and (peri)menopause can significantly increase your risk of developing depression and other mood disorders. It’s important to work with a hormonally-aware doctor to manage these hormonal shifts. Many people assume that women’s menstrual and perinatal life bring about physical changes and often overlook or underestimate the impact these hormonal shifts have on your mood and mental health.
Self regard
If you tend to struggle with self-esteem, see things in a more pessimistic way, or are overly self-critical of yourself, you’re more likely to develop depression. It doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with your personality. However, constant pessimism and low self-esteem tend to stem from negative thought patterns that are actually habits. If you think of yourself as someone who sees the glass half empty or looks for the negative spin on most events in your life or around you, you may be more susceptible to depression.
The good news, as I said above, is these thought patterns are just habits. While unconscious and automatic, that doesn’t mean they can’t be targeted, challenged, and changed, which will boost your mood for the better.
Finding Help for Depression
Depression is often a manageable and treatable condition. As a woman, understanding the risk factors can empower you to get the help you deserve, especially if you’ve been dealing with symptoms for some time and they haven’t let up.
Having depression doesn’t make you weak or some kind of stereotype. It’s also not something you have to live with forever. Being proactive about your mental health and acknowledging and addressing some of the risk factors can make a big difference in how you recover from depression.
Things like self-care, having a strong support system, and working to stay more present can make a difference. Therapy can also help you understand where your derepression stems from while encouraging active steps to manage your symptoms and recover.
Depression does not have to be a life sentence. It often creeps in quietly, and you may not even notice until you find yourself feeling hopeless and alone. But you are not alone, and help is available. The hardest, and most important, step is to ask for it.