16 Reasons Why Some People Are More Prone To Depression Than Others

While there are specific causes of depression, that doesn’t exactly address why some people appear to be more prone to it than others.

I mean, two different people could be exposed to the same stressors, or lead similar lifestyles, or have had the same type of upbringing, and yet one becomes depressed, and one doesn’t.

This guide lists some of the primary factors that may predispose certain people to depression. You will notice that some of these can also be symptoms of depression – but the key point is, people who naturally fit these traits are also more prone to being depressed too.

One of the tenets of cognitive behavioural therapy is that changing behaviours can affect your mood. One consequence of this is that, if your existing behaviours (and thought patterns) mirror signs of depression, then depression can indeed set in.

Being Neurotic

Some people seem to be naturally neurotic, worrying about everything. As with most mental health issues, there is a good chance this stems from childhood experiences, even if you don’t recall the specific experiences that led to your neuroticism.

People who are neurotic will be anxious about more things than others, their stress levels will often be higher as a result, and they may have social problems too because neurotic people are not fun to be around, so they may feel isolated.

And all of this can cause their chronic anxiety to become full-blown depression.

Creative Types

There is plenty of research that links being creative (e.g. writers, artists, musicians) to depression (as well as bipolar disorder). For example, one study found that poets, and writers in general, are four times more likely than others to suffer from affective disorders.

Dwelling On Negative Memories

Some people seem to have a tendency to dwell on negative memories (e.g. from their childhood), while others dwell on positive ones.

No prizes for guessing which type of person is more likely to be depressed!

Family History

Those with a family history of depression are themselves more likely to suffer from it too, according to some research.

Genetics

Genetics can certainly play a part in whether you develop depression or not, just as environmental factors (e.g. abuse) can.

This isn’t to say that certain genes mean you will definitely suffer from it – but they can pre-dispose you to it, as they can to other illnesses and behavioural traits.

History Of Trauma

If you experienced trauma as a child (e.g. loss, bereavement, failure, or feelings of worthlessness), then you may develop feelings of being unlovable or useless later on in life, for example, and these can easily become thought patterns of depression.

Isolated Introverts

Most introverts cannot sustain prolonged exposure to large groups of people because it leaves them emotionally drained, so they often withdraw to recharge themselves.

They usually enjoy their own company (guilty as charged!) and the thought of going out may cause them anxiety or even panic attacks.

If they are having problems, they are less likely to talk to others about those issues, and once a tipping point is reached, they can become physically and mentally isolated – two traits that often cause depression. (One study found that 74% of those who are depressed as introverts, when the split between introverts and extroverts in the general population is about equal.)

Lack Of Motivation

While it’s true that losing motivation (even for doing things you usually enjoy) is often a symptom of depression, the converse is also common – people who are low-energy and struggle with motivation can become depressed. (With hindsight, this actually describes me pretty well.)

Learned Helplessness

This is a type of behaviour that is frequently used to describe animals that suffer repeated or constant pain, or any other negative stimulus, that they seem unable to avoid or escape from.

After a while, the animal seems conditioned to accept its situation, even when situations present themselves that would actually allow them to escape.

And the same can happen to humans too – people who are typically passive and who believe they have no power to affect their suffering can become depressed as a result of this learned behaviour.

Loss Of Resilience

Andrew Solomon, a professor of psychology at Columbia University, pointed out that while many people think that the opposite of being depressed is being happy, this is not actually the case. In his professional opinion, the opposite of depression is resilience and vitality.

This correlates to the view that people with depression are not weak – they are people who have been strong for too long. In other words, they have used up all of their resilience.

Almost everybody has their breaking point, and when all of your reserves of resilience have been depleted, it’s easier to succumb to negative thoughts, which in turn can lead you all the way down to depression.

Negative Thought Patterns

Some people seem to get stuck in negativity, regretting things they have done or said in the past, or worrying about the future.

To a degree, this is normal human behaviour, of course, but when taken to extremes, as is the case with the people I’m talking about here, it becomes a vicious downward spiral that is hard to escape from – and the result is often depression.

Perfectionists

I think striving for perfection is a laudable goal – but it’s also, for the most part, an unattainable one.

All you need to do is look around you, wherever you happen to be, and ask yourself if anything you can see is perfect.

I suspect the answer will be a resounding “no”.

This is not surprising when you consider it is said that every design is a compromise.

The main problem with perfectionism is that you will rarely accomplish anything, because it’s not perfect (in your eyes, at least).

This creates knock-on problems, including:

1. You waste time, energy, and even money as you constantly work at eliminating what you see as imperfections in whatever you are working on.
2. You can become obsessive, which, when taken to extremes, is not a healthy trait.
3. Ultimately, you may stop initiating new projects because you know it will never be good enough. (And that’s the key – you need to recognize when good enough is good enough.)

All of this can create feelings of being a failure (which is usually not the case, objectively), and this, in turn, can cause depression.

Poor Problem-Solving Ability

If you are the sort of person who finds it difficult to solve real-life problems, then it’s easy to see how you may end up being depressed – you will end up in relationships that don’t work, or in jobs you are unable to do competently, and since you are unable to come up with fixes to those problems, you will become “stuck”.

Feelings of failure and a lack of self-worth will result – and from there, it’s only a short journey to depression.

Self-Medicators

Some people know when to seek professional medical help (e.g. from a doctor or psychiatrist), or any help, for that matter, and others don’t.

And the latter will frequently self-medicate instead (e.g. with alcohol or drugs).

People talk about some drugs being “gateway” drugs, but there is plenty of evidence that self-medicating is definitely a gateway to anxiety and depression (as well as, of course, to a wide range of other health problems).

Smart People

Everything has a cost, and while being smart would seem like a great thing to be, it too has its downsides.

Links between being smart, drug abuse, and depression are well-known.

One hypothesis suggests that smart people see the world and life as it really is, and not how we are told it is. And when you see life (and, especially, human behaviour) as ugly, it can be a depressing thought.

For example:

• It can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness, because you see and understand things that few others “get”. After a while, you simply stop talking about those subjects to other people.
• You understand that life is, ultimately, futile. While many people are constantly searching for some overarching purpose, you realize there is no such thing. Instead, you accept that your purpose is what you make it, but you also know that in the grand scheme of things, none of it really matters.
• You see through all the manipulation (e.g. advertising) and wonder how other people fall for it all so easily.
• You cannot understand why some people appear to prefer to live in ignorance. In fact, the well-known saying, “Ignorance is bliss”, makes no sense at all to you.
• You will be less easily comforted by the “solutions” (e.g. reality TV shows) adopted by less smart people.

All of this makes you feel like you’re not really a part of society, and as a whole, humans never know what to do with people who are “different”, so you may feel like a bit of an outcast.

Transgender People

People who identify as something other than their biological gender also appear more likely to develop depression.

Other than the gender confusion they feel, they often feel isolated because they think nobody understands them, they are often the subject of bullying, and, related to depression, a large proportion of transgender people attempt suicide.

Conclusion

Note that none of the above guarantees somebody will suffer from depression, just like some people who exhibit none of the above traits can suffer from it too.

But these are all factors, based on research and experience, that indicate an increased risk, in general.

Additional Resources

These are suggestions for those who wish to delve deeper into any of the above:

1. Find A Counsellor (USA Only)
2. US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255)