If you have family members battling with depression, you may wonder if you will ever get it. Or maybe you already think you have depression and wonder if you got it from a relative. Millions of people suffer from a major depressive disorder in the United States, making it one of the more common mental health conditions. However, you may question — is depression hereditary? This is a question that many people ask if they are dealing with this condition.

Is Depression Hereditary?

When you consider the question — is depression hereditary, it is a question of genetics. Is there a depression gene? Answering this question is complicated. Proving, with all certainty, specific genes are connected to mental health disorders is somewhat difficult to do. However, researchers can isolate a gene that may be prevalent among many family members who have depression. In other words, if you have many family members, spanning generations, who have a major depressive disorder, and it’s discovered that they all have a similar gene, it is safe to conclude that that particular gene is responsible for depression.

At the same time, because science is an exact study, there could be some other cause for the depression, and the gene could be coincidental. Therefore, when family members have depression, it can predispose others in the family to that condition.

Other Factors Involved in Depression

There are other things at play when wondering if depression is hereditary or not. Sometimes several people in a family will develop depression because of environmental issues. In other words, if a child grows up in a home with a depressed caregiver (especially if it’s the primary caregiver), then they may be predisposed to depression as well.

By being around a family member who is always depressed, the child learns behaviors or senses the parent’s mood and feelings. This can impact the child as they grow up, leading to a need for depression treatment.

Treating Depression

Any time someone is dealing with depression, it’s vital to seek depression treatment. If treatment is neglected, a person could resort to self-medicating. Self-medicating often takes the form of abusing substances to “feel better.” However, through depression treatment, the person can get to the root of their issue and avoid substance addiction.

If you have depression and are using a substance to alleviate the pain of your mental health condition, you can find help through therapies such as:

Cognitive-behavioral therapy treatment program
Dual diagnosis treatment program
EMDR therapy treatment program
Dialectical-behavioral treatment program

Discover Depression Treatment at Oceanfront Recovery

At Oceanfront Recovery, we understand the complexities of major depressive disorder. Also, we know that often, people have co-occurring conditions such as substance use disorder with depression. Our comprehensive treatment programs are designed to encompass all your issues stemming from depression.

Our knowledgeable therapists are here to guide you in finding the best solution to your mental health conditions.

Also, if you have started using a substance to relieve depression, we can help you with all types of substance abuse issues. Our experience with substance ranges, allowing us to offer several treatment programs, such as:

Don’t let a mental health crisis take hold of your life. Now that you know the answer to your question — is depression hereditary, you can take the steps you need to get depression treatment. You can overcome mental health problems by reaching out to a qualified treatment center. Contact Oceanfront Recovery at 877.279.1777 for more information. We will be here to get you on the right pathway.