Are There Any Medical Conditions That Increase My Risk Of Developing Depression?

— -- Question: Are there any medical conditions that increase my risk of developing depression?

Answer: There are a number of medical conditions that can increase your risk for developing depression. One of them has to do with thyroid problems -- if you're hypothyroid, that can lead to depression.

If you have certain vitamin deficiencies, that can do also. Almost any severe disabling medical illness can lead to depression if it affects a person's ability to function. Because when you're trying to cope with medical illness, and you're not able to do the things that gives your lives meaning and purpose, then it can be a real challenge for the person. It can lead to feeling that life is not worth living because you can't do the things that you really love.

So any kind of severe medical illness can lead to disability, which then can lead to depression as a person struggles with trying to cope with the changes that the medical illness has caused in their life.

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