Where does depression come from? Why is it classified as a disease?
In: 99
lack of sunlight/exposure to outdoors on a regular biological rhythm, poor diets, sedentary lifestyle leading to poor posture, circulation, breathing, being around others who display similar deficiencies – modern schedules in developed countries exacerbate this
Depression is a result of a chemical imbalance in your brain. Your brain uses different chemicals called neurotransmitters, and these can be either excitatory or inhibitory.
Specifically, depression results when your brain releases too many of the inhibitory neurotransmitters. It’s not that you get sad a lot more when you’re depressed, you’ll actually see less physical activity. People with depression tend to sleep more, move less, eat less, and generally expend less energy.
Your brain is an organ just like any other, and a chemical imbalance in your brain is akin to another organ not functioning properly. If your lungs don’t function properly, you’d have asthma. The same goes for your brain. Just like you wouldn’t tell someone with asthma to “just breathe”, telling someone with depression to “just be happy” isn’t helpful advice.
I read a book that described depression as a loss of connection – to meaningful people, hobbies, work, community etc. I’ve always liked that framework because it kind of gives you a roadmap back to wellness…
If you get the time do watch this lecture, Dr. Sapolsky explains it in a simple way: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOAgplgTxfc
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