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Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Brain Science and Rocket Surgery, Part II
A few days this column schooled y'all in brains and nerves and stuff like that.
One area of the brain has some neurotransmitters that specialize in sending signals via the brain chemicals serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. Those chemicals impact feelings such as pleasure and mood. When they get out of whack, the person whose brain is malfunctioning is hindered in
This syndrome (collection of symptoms) is Depression.
Depression is not grief or disappointment or dismay or temporary unhappiness (as in 'this too shall pass'). Depression is a real physical and mental illness. It can be disabling and it can be deadly.
A diabetic cannot will away the blood sugar and related issues. Someone with cancer cannot shrink tumors through sheer will power. The person who is truly depressed cannot just "cheer up" or "smile away the blues." If you think I'm over-dramatizing the significance - think again. Depression is statistically in the top 10 causes of death in the USA. While it's not proven, that ranking is likely to be even higher, because it is likely that many deaths directly result from depression but are not attributed to depression because something else seems to be the cause of death. Note: while all depression does not lead to suicide, nearly all suicides involve depression.
Consider this: if someone leaves a suicide note and then is found dead from something obvious (OD, jumping from a bridge, and such) then the death is easily attributed to suicide. What if the death occurs during an automobile "accident" that isn't really an "accident." What if the death is attributed to liver or kidney failure due to excessive, chronic consumption of alcohol? If the addict had problems with depression (most addicts do), and if the depression had been treated ... perhaps the person could have better dealt with the addiction, and not died from the organ failure that gets counted in the official records.
In other words, depression kills even more than what the statistics show. It's also more common that many people know. For example, according to the world Health Organization, Major Depressive Disorder is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. for ages 15-44.
Anti-depressants are not 'happy pills' or any such nonsense. Taking an antidpressant will not get one high or cheerful. An antidepressant dose is a part of a larger regimen of medication, psychological therapy, exercise, diet - all aimed at bringing into balance not just brain chemistry, but an entire lifestyle.
Depression is real.
Depression is a killer.
Depression can be treated.
depressionisreal.com
mentalhealthamerica.net
nami.org
One area of the brain has some neurotransmitters that specialize in sending signals via the brain chemicals serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. Those chemicals impact feelings such as pleasure and mood. When they get out of whack, the person whose brain is malfunctioning is hindered in
- experiencing pleasure
- being interested in anything
- maintaining normal relationships
- having feelings of self-worth.
This syndrome (collection of symptoms) is Depression.
Depression is not grief or disappointment or dismay or temporary unhappiness (as in 'this too shall pass'). Depression is a real physical and mental illness. It can be disabling and it can be deadly.
A diabetic cannot will away the blood sugar and related issues. Someone with cancer cannot shrink tumors through sheer will power. The person who is truly depressed cannot just "cheer up" or "smile away the blues." If you think I'm over-dramatizing the significance - think again. Depression is statistically in the top 10 causes of death in the USA. While it's not proven, that ranking is likely to be even higher, because it is likely that many deaths directly result from depression but are not attributed to depression because something else seems to be the cause of death. Note: while all depression does not lead to suicide, nearly all suicides involve depression.
Consider this: if someone leaves a suicide note and then is found dead from something obvious (OD, jumping from a bridge, and such) then the death is easily attributed to suicide. What if the death occurs during an automobile "accident" that isn't really an "accident." What if the death is attributed to liver or kidney failure due to excessive, chronic consumption of alcohol? If the addict had problems with depression (most addicts do), and if the depression had been treated ... perhaps the person could have better dealt with the addiction, and not died from the organ failure that gets counted in the official records.
In other words, depression kills even more than what the statistics show. It's also more common that many people know. For example, according to the world Health Organization, Major Depressive Disorder is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. for ages 15-44.
Anti-depressants help the brain's neurotransmitters to get those brain chemicals (serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine) into a balance that enables the sufferer (trust me, it is truly suffering) get to be more normal in terms of experiencing pleasure, maintaining relationships, taking interest in activities, and having a will to live.
According to a friend who is an MD at the Veteran's Administration Hospital in Seattle, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and the accompanying Depression is the leading "injury" affecting USA military personnel who have served in combat zones. He added that the overwhelming majority of those people go untreated, and that they live "lives of quiet desperation," without anyone else understanding the misery. Occasionally a vet 'snaps' and makes it onto the 6 O'Clock News, but most live with bouts of (or chronic) depression. No, I haven't researched the actual numbers; however, what he said is not in the least bit surprising to me.
My own depression went undiagnosed and untreated for most of my life. It wasn't until a PTSD-inducing event affected me so profoundly that I had to seek medical intervention. In the course of treatment for PTSD, my chronic depression bubbled up to the surface. The diagnosis of depression and subsequent treatment revealed why my life had been so erratic.
Anti-depressants are not 'happy pills' or any such nonsense. Taking an antidpressant will not get one high or cheerful. An antidepressant dose is a part of a larger regimen of medication, psychological therapy, exercise, diet - all aimed at bringing into balance not just brain chemistry, but an entire lifestyle.
Depression is real.
Depression is a killer.
Depression can be treated.
depressionisreal.com
mentalhealthamerica.net
nami.org
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