Read Time: 4 min

The 9 causes of depression and how to solve each of them.

From being a depressed entrepreneur and leader to leading a full life again.

I was wrongly diagnosed with bipolar disorder and got out of the depression without antidepressants.

I lost my father in November 2019.

I couldn't believe it when I heard the news from my mother over the phone.

My father was so fit, strong, and active.

We just discussed and planned his exit from that company three weeks earlier.

He wanted to build something he was passionate about and that helped other leaders.

Now, he was just gone.

His heart stopped while he was asleep.

He died at a young age from the stress of leading a company.

I had to be strong for my family, supporting my mother and brothers.

I also had to lead my team and get them to our first release.

I couldn't hold that up forever, and eventually, this pressure crushed me.

I fell into a deep depression.

And when I tried to find a therapist, it turned out to be more difficult than I thought.

I live as a digital nomad and I am an entrepreneur.

The therapists I spoke to had no idea how to handle me.

All their advice only applied to "normal” people.

The only idea they had was to put me on antidepressants.

I refused the drugs.

Less than 1% of depression can be treated effectively through antidepressants.

Still, most cases of depression are prescribed these drugs today.

I'm lucky that I eventually found the book Lost Connections by Johann Hari.

The death of my father triggered my depression.

But this event was only the last straw; most of my depression came from my being disconnected.

Reconnecting these lost connections was what helped me out of my depression in the end.

9 Causes of depression

1. Disconnection from Meaningful Work

I was not doing work that I saw as meaningful at that time.

I dreaded most days because I had to do tasks that didn't advance my company.

Additionally, I was doing things that weren't my strengths.

This cause of my depression was straightforward to fix for me.

I swapped some responsibilities with my co-founder, so our strengths were utilized better.

And we created clarity about what we wanted to achieve with our company.

Most of the meaningless work disappeared overnight, and only the essential was left.

2. Disconnection from Other People

If you try to keep the wrong people in your life, being a digital nomad can be lonely.

I was trying to keep in contact with the people from my old life.

People who I had outgrown but still put energy into keeping them close.

I didn't feel understood by these old friends.

Their eyes just glossed over when I told them about my problems.

It was the same way, vice-versa.

Their struggles sounded so unimportant to me.

It was two worlds colliding, worlds that don't do each other good.

Most relationships in our lives are like this, draining our energy.

It is OK to break up with these people and go separate ways.

Let's normalize friendship breakups.

I focused my energy on the handful of people who understood me and supported me.

Suddenly, I had so much more energy and space for deeper and more rewarding relationships.

I felt connected again.

3. Disconnection from Meaningful Values

Our behaviour can cause depression if we don't act with integrity.

If you act against your own internalized values, this will cause a lot of mental strain.

Eventually, this can cause depression.

Gain clarity over your world views and the values they're based upon.

Then, align your behaviours with your values.

If you don't like your values, put in the work to reshape your value system.

4. Disconnection from Childhood Trauma

Childhood trauma is another cause of depression.

If you experienced strong trauma in your past, this can cause you to disconnect from yourself.

To reconnect with yourself, it is best to search for professional help.

This trauma might be sitting deep inside you and needs careful unearthing so as not to cause more damage.

5. Disconnection from Status and Respect

I feel neither respected nor is my sense of status fulfilled by climbing a corporate ladder.

This is one of the reasons why the corporate world is not for me.

I would get depressed in no time.

Think of it:

Are you being respected and treated well by the people around you?
Do you feel appreciated by the people around you?

Surround yourself with people who appreciate and support you.

Leave situations that you don't feel valued enough in.

Know your boundaries and keep others from stepping over them.

6. Disconnection from the Natural World

I isolated myself entirely inside after the death of my father.

I was stuck in a small apartment in a rainy city in Germany.

I didn't do any sports, and I didn't leave my apartment.

The disconnect from nature is one of the biggest and most common causes of depression.

It is also the easiest to reconnect to.

I'm moving 5 out of 7 days for at least 30 minutes now.

And I always choose my location to be close to a beach, forests, and mountains.

I make it as easy as possible for myself to step into nature and move my body.

It rewards me with gigantic surges of energy.

7. Disconnection from a Hopeful or Secure Future

I was disconnected from a hopeful and secure future when it was clear that my first company would run out of funds.

We didn't have enough time to release the product and make enough revenue to keep us afloat.

A dark wall appeared before me when I tried to think of the time after our runway projection hit zero.

I poured my whole life into that first company.

My whole identity was this company.

Diversification was the solution that reconnected me to my future again.

If one project fails, it is not the end of my life; it is the beginning of something new.

I am more than my company.
I have a personal life.
I have other projects that I'm passionate about.

8. Brain Changes: Neurons that trigger together wire together

Habits, behaviours, and thought patterns can form neuron connections over time.

These connections might cause a state of depression.

Getting out of this state takes a lot of effort and time.

Our brains can be shaped and reshaped over and over again.

This means with the right behaviours and habits, we can get out of this state of depression.

Positive thinking exercises and optimistic behaviours can help here.

9. Genetics: potentials activated by the environment

Lastly, there is a minority of people who have genetically altered brain chemistry.

This alteration can increase the likelihood of developing depression.

If all other disconnects don't resolve your depression, this is when drugs might be your last hope.

Usually, drugs are prescribed as the first attempt to heal depression.

Try to get out of your depression with the causes you can influence yourself first.

This topic is very serious but also very important to me.

A lot of you can relate to my struggles as a leader.

I would like to remind you:

Your struggles are valid.
It is OK to talk about your mental state.
And it is OK to get help with these issues.
You're not weak or less worthy by recognizing your struggles and accepting help.

I invite you to take some time to consider if any of these disconnects apply to you.

How could you reconnect with them?

It is up to us to shape the best environment for ourselves.

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Lost connections, and how I overcame my depression as a leader