 Sadness, loneliness, and anxiety are normal feelings that everyone has experienced. These feelings can be triggered by specific events like the loss of a loved one or a humiliating work experience. But when our dark emotional state begins to cause physical symptoms and lasts for long periods of time, it can dramatically affect our everyday behavior and inhibit us from leading normal, healthy lives. Despite the social stigma associated with it, major depressive disorder is surprisingly common. Studies show that 13% of the global population will suffer from depression at some point in their lives, and even the World Health Organization considers depression to be a major factor in diseases of all types. Despite depression being seemingly so commonplace, the causes of depression and the different factors that make it more likely to occur are often misunderstood. So what types of thought processes lead more easily to depressive states, and what makes some people more likely than others to suffer from chronic depression? In a landmark 1992 study, Rose and Abramson established a clear link between three pessimistic tendencies, also called negative inferential styles and chronic depression. Number one, cause. The first occurs when an individual blames global causes for negative life events instead of specific causes. Someone who makes these types of attributions will look at a negative event as caused by something that cannot be changed by them and extends across all areas of their life, instead of addressing the specifics of the situation and looking to move forward from it in a positive way. At the same time, they also assume that their successes are one-off situations that are lucky or coincidental and not a result of their own effort and behavior. Number two, consequence. Even if someone does not assume that they are the main unchanging cause of negative events in their life, they may still have trouble seeing how a negative situation could turn out positively. People with this outlook on life see the worst in every situation and assume the worst possible outcomes. Even though they might not blame themselves for a particular event, they tell themselves that there's no way to recover from it, believing that they will forever be dealing with the consequences of the negative situation. Number three, self-image. Individuals with this third tendency regularly compare themselves with others who are performing better than them in a certain task. Because they view themselves so negatively and believe that they are the cause of every negative life event, they cannot see a way forward from their current situation. They see themselves as the root cause of every issue and so feel a deep sense of hopelessness. Although there are many different factors which contribute to chronic depression, these negative attribution styles always play a major role. Helping individuals who suffer from depression to seek therapy focused on developing more positive ways of thinking, building a strong self-image, and better understanding the root causes of their emotions and how to constructively deal with them is an essential part of treatment. As with most illness, the deep shame that a company's depression can be paralyzing. Please help end the stigma associated with depression and other mental illnesses by coming forward to speak about your own struggles, encouraging others to come forward and always being willing to listen without judgment.