How do the theories of depression relate to learned helplessness?

The theory of learned helplessness means a condition of a human being or an animal in which it has learned to behave helplessly, even when the opportunity is restored for it to help itself by avoiding an unpleasant or harmful circumstance to which it has been subjected. One theory of the causes of depression is that depression could be caused by genetic traits, stressful events, illness, medications, or other factors, can lead to an imbalance of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters, causing depression. The theory of depression, the cognitive theory, is related to learn helplessness because, to begin with, they are both dealing with depression. Then, they are both caused because of something. For example, in the case of medications, if someone is fat and feels that the medications do not work they get all depressed and think that it is their fault and feel helpless. Both occasions are link because you get depressed by something and therefore feel helpless.

Depression drawing by me..

Cognitive Theory of Depression..

Cognitive Theories are consideres to be "cognitive" because they deal with mental events such as thinking and feeling. Theorists suggest that depression results from aladaptive, faulty, or irrational cognitions taking the form of distorted thoughts and judgements. Depressive cognition can be learned observationally as is the case when children in a dysfunctional family watch their parents fail to success with stressful experiences or traumatic events.

According to this theory, depressed people think differently than non-depressed people, and it is this difference in thinking that causes them to become depressed. For example, depressed people tend to see everything that sorrounds them, their life and everything that happens in a negative way and blame themselves for something unfortunate that happens to them. This negative thinking and judgment style functions as a negative bias.

http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=13006&cn=5

Depression Documentary Video..

Environmental Theory of Depression..

Environmental causes of depression are concerned with factors that are outside of ourselves. They are not directly related to brain function, inherited traits from parents, medical illnesses, or anything else that may take place within us. Instead, environmental events are those things that happen in the course of our everyday lives. These may include situations such as prolonged stress at home or work or traumatic events. Sometimes researchers refer to these as sociological of psychological factors since they bring events that happen out in society with what happens in a person's mind.

It has been said that experiences we have in our lives can affect our state of mind. The relationships we hace with others, how we are brought uo, losses we have, thoughts, behaviors, and emotions. How we react to these environmental events may influence the development of clinical depression.
http://www.allaboutdepression.com/cau_04.html

Biological Theory of Depression..

Manic-depression is also known as bipolar disorder. The disorder is characterized by alternating periods of depression and mania and occurs in 1% of the population. The depressive episodes can range in severity from dysthymia to major depressive episodes. The major depressic episodes are classified as periods of at least two weeks in length during which sadness, lethargy, insomnia or excessive sleep, increase or decrease in appetite, hopelessness, and suicidal ideation or suicide attempts are present. Dysthymia is the milder form of depression, during ehich suicidal ideation and attempts are not present. Manic episodes are of at least two weeks in duration and are characterized by euphoria, flight of idea, grandiose delusions, pressured speech, increased activity, and insomnia.

Although individuals can obviouslt suffer from depressica episodes withour ever experiencing manic episode, very few ever have only manic episodes. Much of the existing body of knowledge concerning the causes of manic-depression points to genetics. Many scientists have isolated single genes to which they believe manic-depression can be attributed; however, very few agree on which gene it is.

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro99/web1/Bromwell.html