How does depression affect the brain?
The outer part of our brain is gray which is known as gray matter. The reason for its gray color is the abundance of neuronal cells, dendrites, and axon terminals. In the case of people with depression, the level of this gray matter has become thicker.
The hippocampus stores memory and regulates the secretion of a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol plays an active role in balancing blood sugar, controlling blood pressure, helping memory formation, controlling biological activity, or reducing inflammation in any part of the body. It is also known as the stress hormone. So when we go into depression the secretion of this cortisol increases. As a result, the very front part of the brain and the hippocampus have been shown to contract.
Anger, contentment, fear, sadness - these are all associated with the amygdala. It becomes much more active during the depression and its activity is quite abnormal. So when depression is chronic it has a very bad effect which also affects our emotional issues.
The thalamus and hypothalamus are also affected. The thalamus acts as a relay station, its primary responsibility for transmitting information to the cerebrum. On the other hand, maintaining the balance of the body, secretion of many important hormones, the hypothalamus works in combination with different organs. They also have abnormalities during the depression.
Depression has the greatest effect on the limbic system, which is responsible for the care of our mental state. If the person who is responsible for handling the work behaves abnormally, then I can anticipate the danger. Collected.
Depression affects the brain or the brain's reversible behavior leads to depression - a very complex issue that researchers do not seem to have finished yet.
But I must have realized the terrible changes that take place in the brain during the depression. As a result of the loss of physical balance as well as radical changes in work or mental state, life becomes unbearable.
Let's know a little about the structure of the brain:
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| Our Brain Division |
Our brain is divided into three parts-
- Forebrain
- Midbrain
- Post Brain / Hindbrain
The Forebrain is further divided into three parts-
- Cerebrum
- Thalamus
- Hypothalamus
Just below the cerebrum, on both sides of the thalamus, there is a complex structure called the limbic system. The hypothalamus, hippocampus, amygdala, and a small part of the surrounding area are included in the limbic system.
We can't even begin to imagine how important this limbic system is. which handles important responsibilities like hunger, contentment, fear, emotional reactions, memory.
Let's study with a little neuron, which is the carrier of feelings.
A neuron consists of two parts-
- Cell body.
- Protruding part.
Protruding part: The dendrites are the parts that protrude like deer horns from around the cell body. And the long yarn-like part from the bottom is called an axon.
Depression: Depression is a disorder of the mind that affects our thoughts, feelings, or behavior. Quite a random mental state that lasts for a very short time in some cases and can last for years in others. It's not a matter of two days, but it's dangerous to go after a year.
Chronic depression not only affects daily activities but also physical condition. How do I know if someone is suffering from chronic depression? Five or more of the following symptoms should appear at least once a day for two weeks-
- Too much or too little sleep
- Instability
- Loss of interest in things that once seemed very good,
- Weight gain or loss,
- Appetite quite increased or decreased,
- Attempted suicide,
- Thinking of death or suicide more than once,
- Persistent hopelessness or sadness,
- Lack of enough concentration with having trouble making decisions or thinking about something,
- Mental exhaustion,
- Feeling unnecessarily extravagant, feeling guilty,
(Note: Do not pretend to be a patient again by mixing the symptoms of the disease with yourself. If there is a problem, we will consult a psychiatrist.)
But it is not yet possible for researchers to know exactly what causes people to fall into long-term depression. But they can guess some things.
When a difficult event happens in life: losing a loved one, family unrest, sudden job loss, and unemployment - all of these can lead to depression.
Hormonal imbalance: Depression can also be caused by hormonal imbalance in the body. This is because of the low and high levels of thyroid hormones.
Introduction to Biochemicals: Abnormalities in certain chemicals inside the brain can also cause problems.
Genetic effects: Proteins are needed for all the biochemical functions of the body. And the code for making this protein comes from genes. Even our emotional responses need proteins whose source is genes. Problems will also occur if there is a fault in this gene or if we have inherited the faulty gene.
Other diseases: Even if there is a complex disease in the body, it has to go into depression.
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