The Brain and a Closer Look
at Depression
The World we live in today is much
different from the World that our parents lived in, as is the same for our
parents. Every age group has different things that make their lives more
stressful then the next, and times will continue to change each and every year
from here hence forth.
Life is for ever changing, and with it we
must adapt. And sometimes, it causes many of us to be unable to cope, or adapt.
Some of us will struggle, and that struggle is real. Some of us will go with
the flow and it will make no difference. And to others, the World will seem to
crash around them. And then sometimes, some of us don’t even notice, not the
people, not the changes, and not even the ones who are suffering, let alone
care. And for those who are struggling, that makes it even worse.
But what causes the changes in our lives
other than the economy, the Presidency, and the weather? Our brain is the
center of it all, and it controls everything we take in, and how we handle it.
For starters, did you know that stress can
decrease the size of your brain? Alleged studies have shown this. Also, they
have proven that our brain cannot multitask, and that naps improve our brains
function. Admit it, everyone loves a nap from time to time!
Your brain is works with your nervous
system is a network of cells, which sends neurons which transmit electrical
signals throughout your body. These electrical signals are information. If I
pinch you, your brain will tell you it hurts, therefore you know to say ow and
pull away from me.
Scientists are now studying the limbic
system and learning that this is the area of the brain that regulates
activities such as emotions, physical and sexual drives, and the stress
response. The hypothalamus is a small structure located at the base of the
brain. It is responsible for many basic functions including: body temperature,
sleep, appetite, sexual drive, stress reaction, and the regulation of other
activities. The hypothalamus also controls the function of the pituitary gland
which in turn regulates key hormones. My favorite word in this learning segment
is this one: amygdala and hippocampus. I love saying it. The amygdala
hippocampus is said to be associated with emotional reaction. The limbic
activities are important and yet complex that disturbances in any of it,
including how neurotransmitters function, could affect your mood and behavior.
And we don’t want nor need that.
Inside the brain, are special chemicals
called neurotransmitters which are said to carry out many important functions.
They transfer messages throughout the brain's nerve cells. The nerve cells,
called neurons, are organized to control specialized activities. The electrical impulses travel across the
neurons at rate of speed- less than one/five thousandth of a second. Since,
they move rapidly, our brains can react instantaneously to stimuli such as
pain.
Out of all the brains neurotransmitters
that Scientists, and Doctors and Researchers have identified, together they
have discovered associations between clinical depression and the function of
three primary ones: serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. These three
neurotransmitters function within structures of the brain that regulate
emotions, reactions to stress, and the physical drives of sleep, appetite, and
sexuality. Structures that have received a great deal of attention from
depression researchers include the limbic system and hypothalamus. Therefore,
with this research gained, another step in the right direction has been
obtained in learning how to fight this disease that is concurring the World at
great lengths, and winning on a daily basis.
Antidepressant medications have been found
able to relive some of several people’s mood disorders. The medicines must be
regulated, however some have been recognized as later needing to increase after
certain periods of time, because the neurotransmitters become accustomed to the
dosage. Others have been found to be fine with the same dosages, and then there
are some who have become immune as well as others who the drug therapy only
slightly worked on. However, more often than not, the drug therapy does rectify
the problem as stabilizing the neurotransmitters.
But have
you ever wondered what causes depression? Studies have shown that it could be a
chemical imbalance in the brain. In many cases, there is a reduced number of
neurotransmitters found (monoamines such as serotonin and norepinephrine) in
individuals who are depressed. Low serotonin levels are simply another symptom
of depression, not the cause. Depression can lead to chemical changes in the
brain, which return to normal once your depression subsides, if it ever does. One
medical cause of depression often given is the overproduction of stress
hormones. The hormonal imbalances related to depression have to do with our
natural reactions to stress, and stress and depression are in fact linked.
To deal with stress, the human body will
react by: causing
delivery of energy to the main muscles, lowering or even increasing your appetite
for food and sex and even increasing levels of stress hormones
such as adrenaline and cortisol. When humans are stressed, they tend to think
differently.
“Hormone levels may be intertwined with
the changes in brain chemistry that are seen in clinical depression. The
endocrine system is connected with the brain at the hypothalamus which controls
many bodily activities such as sleep, appetite, and sexual drive. The
hypothalamus also regulates the pituitary gland that, in turn, controls the
hormonal secretion of other glands. The hypothalamus uses some of the neurotransmitters
that have been associated with depression as it manages the endocrine system.
These neurotransmitters, serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine all have a
role in the management of hormone function.”
Studies have also shown that evidence for other
types of depression is subtler, but it is real. A person who has a first-degree
relative who suffered major depression has an increase in risk for the
condition of one point five percent to three percent over normal. In other
words, like myself, I had a mother who was bipolar, as is my father. Before
that my grandmother on my mother’s side, was also bipolar, although back in
those days: it is not known, but as we look at her past, we now know. My
grandmother on my father side, same thing. Therefore, chances are high, I will
have some sort of problem. I am currently on antidepressants, although they
have never diagnosed me as bipolar, I feel that I am. I can also tell you,
several of my children are the same way. I am also undiagnosed with some kind of
ADD or ADHD, but because of my age, and what not, no one truly seems to find it
relevant. I also have many other problems: I freak out when being tested. I
cannot grasp math for the life of me, and when I was a child I was always in
the ESEA math classes, slow learning math classes. My two sons, are ADD, and
one is ADHD. They both are SLD, slow learning disorder. My husband is a math
whiz, but also has SLD with reading. He also suffers from undiagnosed ADD or
ADHD. We went to School in the seventies, when they just passed us along, but
they did tutor us with HIRC, and tried to help us learn when time permitted. So,
do I believe that problems are inherited, yes, yes and triple yes.
They also claim that specific events can
have lasting physical, as well as emotional, consequences. Researchers have
found that early losses and emotional trauma may leave individuals more
vulnerable to depression later in life. However, some people are known the
block these out. But let us not forget the military, and PTSD. This is a form
of depression in some areas, because of the fact that those in the military are
having problems dealing with the things that they witnessed and even had to do.
Winter and even a lot of rain has also
been known to bring the blues on in people, some people trap themselves
indoors, and become depressed. This can be considered seasonal depression
disorder. This is a condition known as SAD.
The thyroid is linked to depression. Those
with thyroid problems often have weight problems, which is known as an excess
of thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism) which can trigger manic symptoms. On the
other hand, hypothyroidism, a condition in which your body produces too little
thyroid hormone, often leads to exhaustion and depression. Here is my part of
my problem, I have spent most of my life on thyroid medication, with which this
has caused my weight gain. I cannot regulate my sleep schedule either. This
problem is linked between ten and fifteen percent of people.
Depression affects nearly nineteen million
people each year. And much of this goes undetected and untreated because people
just shake it off. Some depression that is left untreated will eventually lead
to suicides.
If you recognize the problem in yourself
and or others, it is best to say something, rather than to ignore the problem,
or person. Left untreated can lead to death…
Resources:
Teasdale, J. D. et al. (2000)
Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major clinical depression by
mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical
Psychology, 68, 4, 615–23.
Psychotherapy Versus Medication for Depression: Challenging the
Conventional Wisdom With Data
– David O. Antonuccio and William G. Danton, University of Nevada School
Nemeroff, C. B. (1998) The
neurobiology of depression. Scientific American, 278, 6, 28–35.
March 18, 2017: http://www.allaboutdepression.com/cau_02.html
Using a standing desk and using INK FOR ALL are working well for me
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