- With Mayo Clinic psychiatrist
Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M.D.
Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M.D.
Dr. Daniel Hall-Flavin, board certified in general psychiatry and addiction psychiatry, is a St. Louis native looking to the Internet as a way to help people improve their health and be more active participants in their own health care by learning from Mayo Clinic's experts.
Dr. Hall-Flavin served on the faculties of Cornell University Medical College, New York Medical College and The George Washington University Medical School before joining the Mayo Clinic staff in 1996. He has special interests in adult psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, pharmacogenetics and personalized medicine. He served as medical director of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence from 1986 to 1999, and is currently involved in translational medicine research involving the introduction of pharmacogenetic technology into the daily practice of community psychiatry.
"With the advent of pharmacogenetics and related fields and the advances in translational medicine, informed collaborative relationships between knowledgeable, capable health professionals and informed, proactive individuals and their families are more vital than ever," he said.
"I'm optimistic that our Internet health education activities will contribute to ever-improving health outcomes for all who participate and apply what is learned."
About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Question
Chronic stress: Can it cause depression?
Can chronic stress cause depression?
Answer
from Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M.D.
Depression has many possible causes, likely related to genetics, brain chemicals and your life situation. Chronic stressful life situations can increase the risk of developing depression if you aren't coping with the stress well.
Stress is a normal psychological and physical reaction to positive or negative situations in your life, such as a new job or the death of a loved one. Stress itself isn't abnormal or bad. What's important is how you deal with stress.
If you're having trouble coping, chronic stress can wear you down and overwhelm you. You may frequently be in a bad mood, your productivity may decrease, your relationships may suffer, and you might even find it difficult to go about your normal daily routine.
You can try some self-help stress relievers to get your stress under control, such as meditation, yoga, exercise or simply cutting back on your obligations. If your stress management efforts aren't helpful enough, see your doctor. If you've developed depression, you and your doctor can discuss treatment options.
- Depression. National Institute of Mental Health. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression/nimhdepression.pdf. Accessed Dec. 14, 2009.
- Understanding stress. Helpguide.org. http://helpguide.org/mental/stress_signs.htm. Accessed Dec. 14, 2009.
- Hall-Flavin DK (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Dec. 23, 2009.
- Lyness JM, et al. Depression: Epidemiology and pathogenesis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 14, 2009.
Find Mayo Clinic on