Depression is a mental illness that has a variety of aspects to it, whether it be socially, mentally, physically, and/or emotionally. It is thought by many people that depression is just sadness with different causes, but it actually comes from a chemical imbalance in your brain. As a matter of fact, it is more complex than that. There are billions of chemical reactions that make up the system which is responsible for controlling your moods, perceptions, and the way you view life. Researchers have found lots of new information about the make up of depression in the past years. Some have worked to identify certain types of genes that make people more susceptible to low moods and affect how they react to drug therapy- antidepressants. But the interesting thing is, it all leads back to the brain. The brain itself is made up of seven areas: the prefrontal cortex, right hemisphere, thalamus, left hemisphere, hippocampus, amygdala, and the basil ganglia. The one's that play a significant role in depression are the amygdala, thalamus, and hippocampus. Each region regulates some type of mood that is affected by depression. Shown above is a diagram of the different regions of the brain from Harvard Medical School
The first region affected is the amygdala. It is associated with emotions such as anger, pleasure, sorrow, and fear. It is often triggered when someone thinks about a highly emotional memory, such as something that scared them. For example, a flashback to a frightening event like a car accident can set off the amygdala. The next region affected is the thalamus. It is responsible for receiving most sensory information and passing it on to the appropriate part of the cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex is what directs functions such as speech, behavioral reactions, movement, thinking, and learning. The last region of the brain that is affected by depression is the hippocampus. It is responsible for storing long term memory and reacting to fear. Something interesting about it is that it is smaller in some depressed people. There are also chemicals released in the brain called neurotransmitters that are believed to play different roles in depression. Neurotransmitters are essentially chemical messengers. The main ones that play roles in depression are known as Acetylcholine, Serotonin, Norepinephrine, and Dopamine. Acetylcholine is what enhances your memory and is involved in memory recall. Serotonin is what helps regulate your sleep, appetite, and mood. It also is used to inhibit pain. Norepinephrine constricts the blood vessels leading to a raise in blood pressure, It often triggers anxiety and is related to depression. Lastly, there is Dopamine. Dopamine is necessary for movement and influencing motivation. How does it relate to depression? Well, it is responsible for how an individual perceives reality. So is depression really all about sadness? The answer is no. Yes, sadness is one of the many symptoms of depression, but it is not the actual cause.
2 Comments
Sarah Georgieff
3/13/2018 11:18:02 am
I find your topic very interesting because I am also observing mental health, but more specifically, I am focusing on gender inequality as a cause to poor mental health. You did an excellent job describing the regions of the brain because some individuals would not be able to follow your diagram or train of thought without further explanation. I am very excited to read your future blogs!
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Katie Flexer
3/15/2018 05:05:53 pm
Your take on depression is interesting, and I think it is important. I have heard that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance before. I think it would be cool if they figured out a more effective form of “drug therapy” to cure or even lessen the symptoms of depression.
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